- Maryland terminated its contract with Kiewit for the Francis Scott Key Bridge rebuild after a cost dispute
- The company said it will continue Phase 1 of the bridge rebuild through the end of 2026, while Maryland seeks a new contractor for Phase 2
- Kiewit has secured major federal contracts, including a $240.6 million USDA Forest Service award for the Virginia Creeper Bridge & Trail reconstruction
Kiewit Corp. is a privately held, employee-owned firm that provides construction and engineering services to support projects of all sizes and in any market. Its construction and design engineering professionals work on some of the most difficult, challenging and gratifying projects in the industry, such as tunneling under mountains, converting rivers into energy, and constructing bridges to connect communities.
Kiewit and the Key Bridge Rebuild
The government of Maryland said it is ending its contract with Kiewit to rebuild Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge over disagreements in rebuilding costs. According to CBS News, state officials estimated that the project would cost between $4 billion and $5 billion. However, an unnamed source who has knowledge of the matter revealed that Kiewit Infrastructure Co., a subsidiary of Kiewit Corp., quoted $9 billion to finish the bridge.
The state is now looking for replacement contractors for phase 2 of the project.
Kiewit secured a a $73 million contract in 2024 for the design and construction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed into the Patapsco River after being struck by a container ship. However, in November, the Maryland Transportation Authority, also known as MDTA, increased the estimated cost of the rebuild from $2 billion to up to $5.2 billion, citing inflation and design-related expenses.
The state also said that, rather than being completed in late 2028, the bridge will not be finished until late 2030.
Kiewit assured the public that, despite the cancellation of the contract, it will continue work to complete phase 1 of the rebuild project through the end of 2026.
The company stated, “we’re proud of the progress achieved and the strong working relationship developed throughout Phase 1.”
Kiewit’s Government Contracts
Kiewit is a long-time government contractor that has partnered with federal agencies for major construction projects across the nation.
Virginia Creeper Bridge & Trail Reconstruction
In November, the company received a potential $240.6 million firm-fixed-price contract from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service for the design and reconstruction of the Virginia Creeper Bridge & Trail in Southwest Virginia. The national recreation trail heavily damaged during Tropical Storm Helene in 2024.
The contract covers the rebuild of approximately 18 miles of the trail’s eastern section.
NAVFAC Hawaii Construction
Kiewit is one of the companies that won a spot in the Navy’s potential $8 billion indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the design, construction, repair, alteration and demolition of infrastructure within the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Hawaii’s area of responsibility. The construct has a base period of five years with one three-year option.
USACE Military Facilities Construction
The firm also secured a spot in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ $7 billion hybrid contract for the design and construction of military facilities. Work locations and funding will be determined per task order. A total of 15 contractors were selected to compete for task orders under the contract.
Alaska Runway Extension Project
In 2022, USACE awarded Kiewit Infrastructure Co. a $309.7 million contract to extend a military airport runway in Elmendorf, Alaska. Work on the project was expected to conclude in 2025.
California High-Speed Rail
In June, the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s board of directors approved a consortium of Kiewit, Stacy Witbeck and Herzog to begin installation of the track, overhead contact system, train control system and communications infrastructure needed to build an electrified high-speed rail system in California. The $3.5 billion Track and Systems Construction Contract, which the board authorized in 2025, aims to establish the “first true high-speed rail track and systems ever built in the United States.”
Kiewit’s Executive Team
Meet Kiewit’s executives who have been instrumental in the company’s growth.
Rick Lanoha
President and CEO
Rick Lanoha serves as Kiewit’s president and CEO. He was elected to the board of directors in 2009 and is also a member of Kiewit’s Executive Leadership Committee.
He joined Kiewit as a part-time employee in 1986. After getting his bachelor’s degree in construction engineering from the University of Nebraska, he worked for the company’s Southern California District as a field engineer, superintendent and project manager.
From 2000 to 2012, he assumed increasingly high positions, including:
- Area Manager
- District Manager
- Senior Vice President
- Division Manager
- Executive Vice President of Kiewit Industrial Group (2010)
- President of Kiewit Energy Group (2012)
By 2016, he was promoted to president and chief operating officer of Kiewit, supervising all corporate operations. He assumed the job of CEO in January 2020.
Dan Lumma
President, Kiewit Engineering
Dan Lumma is the president of Kiewit Engineering, overseeing engineering and design for the power, oil, gas, chemical and infrastructure businesses. He brings great vision, a comprehensive EPC history, and a project-optimal contract negotiation approach to the table.
Lumma’s market understanding and ability to establish tactical alliances with owners and technology partners have earned him a reputation in the business. He fulfilled different leadership roles, including:
- Engineer (Bibb and Associates, 1990)
- Member of the power sector (Kiewit, 1998)
- Engineer Project Manager of oil, gas, and chemical markets (Kiewit, 2003)
- EPC Project Manager for the offshore and oil sands industries (Kiewit)
- Area Manager (Kiewit, 2008)
- Senior Vice President (Kiewit, 2011)
- President of Kiewit Engineering (2017)
Kevin Needham
President, Kiewit Power Engineering & Executive Vice President, Power Markets & Strategy, Kiewit Power Group Inc.
Kevin Needham is the president of Kiewit Power Engineering and executive vice president of Power Markets & Strategy at Kiewit Power Group.
He joined Kiewit as an engineer in 1993. Throughout his over three-decade career at the company, he held engineering, conceptual design and managerial positions, including:
- Senior Vice President of Power Markets & Strategy
- Vice President, Natural Gas Market
- Project Sponsor
- Project Manager
Joe Wingerter
Vice President, Kiewit Infrastructure Group
Joe Wingerter is the vice president of Kiewit Infrastructure Group. He is in charge of developing strategic markets and targeted infrastructure projects within the company. The executive also oversees efforts to establish, develop and deliver activities related to Public Private Partnerships, or P3s, and other project delivery contracting models
Leveraging his more than three decades of industry expertise, Wingerter has pursued over $30 billion in P3 and Design-Build projects across the United States and Canada.
He has also served on a variety of industry boards and committees to advance the interests of Kiewit, its clients and the industry.
Paul Thompson
Vice President, Business Development
Paul Thompson is Kiewit’s vice president of business development, leading strategic relationships within the company’s power generation and transmission industry. He succeeded Scott Bacca, who stepped down from the role to join Jacobs in April.
Before joining Kiewit, Thompson served in leadership roles within the energy sector, including:
- Vice President, Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Americas
- President and CEO, Ascendant Renewable Energy
- Director, Mitsubishi Power
- Branch Manager, Johnson Controls
About Kiewit Corporation
Kiewit Corporation is one of the largest privately held construction and engineering organizations in North America. It ranked 243rd on the Fortune 500 in 2021.
Kiewit Corporation Founders
Peter and Andrew Kiewit, who were of Dutch origin, established the company in 1884 as Kiewit Brothers Masonry Contractors.
John Kiewit, their father, immigrated from The Hague in 1857, where he learned the art of brickmaking. He founded a brickyard in Omaha, Nebraska, where his sons learned the skills necessary to operate their own masonry firm. Kiewit Corporation’s early projects included the seven-story Lincoln Hotel as stonemasons and the Bekins warehouse as a general contractor. Around the 1920s to 1930s, Kiewit began accepting transportation construction projects. Kiewit’s successors continued to transform the company into one of the largest construction companies in the United States.
Kiewit Corp. Headquarters
The Kiewit Headquarters project is located close to the Kiewit Innovation and Training facility in downtown Omaha. Kiewit’s new headquarters is a seven-story, 203,000-square-foot structure.
Industries Kiewit Serves
Kiewit Corp. specializes in engineering, construction, ground improvement, procurement, deep foundation and development. The company offers its services to a wide variety of sectors, including:
- Infrastructure
- Mining
- Power
- Oil, Gas and Chemical
- Transportation
- Wastewater Management
