The Maryland board, chaired by Governor Wes Moore, approved a $50.3 million emergency contract for debris removal after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March. The contract was awarded to Skanska USA Civil Southeast Inc., a Swedish construction firm, to clear debris from various channels needed for salvage and commercial vessels. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had already managed the debris removal in the federal channel of the Patapsco River, and Skanska's previous success in demolishing the Nice/Middleton Bridge across the Potomac River made them a suitable choice for this urgent task.

Despite the urgency, there was opposition to the no-bid contract. Marshall Brown, representing the Laborers-Employers Cooperation and Education Trust in the Mid-Atlantic Region, argued that the state had enough time to consider multiple contractors, emphasizing that the no-bid contract contradicted the state's commitment to a fair and transparent procurement process. In defense, Bruce Gartner, the executive director of the Maryland Transportation Authority, highlighted that the state's engineers made a professional judgment call to select a company already working in the state to ensure a prompt response to the emergency.

Governor Moore acknowledged the extensive work needed to rebuild the bridge, emphasizing its importance to both Maryland's and the national economy. He expressed gratitude to President Joe Biden's administration for including a 100% federal cost share for the reconstruction in a recent supplemental budget proposal to Congress. The new bridge is estimated to cost between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion, with plans to complete it by fall 2028. The collapse, which occurred on March 26 due to a cargo ship crashing into a bridge support column, resulted in the deaths of six construction workers.