When Maryland’s replacement for Baltimore’s Key Bridge is completed in 2028, a state lawmaker wants to keep its name largely unchanged.
Maryland State Sen. Johnny Ray Salling of Baltimore County has introduced legislation, SB 119, to modify the bridge’s name slightly by adding “Memorial” to the existing Francis Scott Key Bridge title. Salling, whose district includes Dundalk—the community connected to Baltimore by the bridge before its collapse—attended the unveiling of the new design on Tuesday. He praised the design but remains firm that Key’s name should stay.
Following the collapse last March, the Caucus of African American Leaders of Anne Arundel County urged state officials to rename the bridge after Rep. Parren Mitchell, Maryland’s first Black congressman. The request stemmed from Key’s complex legacy—he was a slaveholder who both defended enslaved people seeking freedom and represented slaveholders attempting to reclaim escaped individuals.
Salling acknowledged the painful history of slavery but argued that the bridge’s name should remain due to its historical significance in Maryland.
The Senate Finance Committee will review Salling’s bill on Wednesday, while a similar bill has been introduced in the House by Del. Robert B. Long.
