From historic harbors to modern bridges, McLean Contracting builds connections that last
Founded in 1903 by Colin McLean, McLean Contracting Company is a heavy civil marine contractor headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland. Throughout its history, the company has worked on an extensive range of public and private sector projects, including work for the Federal Government, state transportation agencies, railroad infrastructure, and inland waterway structures.
In the 122 years since its founding, McLean Contracting has built partnerships with a variety of public and private clients and expanded its reach beyond Baltimore. The company has maintained operations across the Hampton Roads area of Virginia for over 75 years and is responsible for some of the region’s most notable infrastructure, with a portfolio that includes traditional fixed and moveable bridges, commercial marine terminals and piers, dredging of waterways, commercial diving, and dozens of other critical infrastructure projects. 
The company’s longevity is in part due to its unique ownership model, as Director of Preconstruction, Kevin Mullen, reveals: “One of the ways we’ve been able to stand out in this industry is through the dedication and work ethic of our team. The company is 100 percent employee-owned, which ensures everyone is motivated to succeed.
“We have over 450 employees, all of whom have a stake in McLean’s continued growth. We take a lot of pride in that fact. The ESOP structure makes for a strong and mutually respectful working culture, and that value is always passed along to the client.”
With the support and enthusiasm of its team, McLean Contracting has built a reputation for self-performing capabilities and hands-on, innovative construction techniques. This is just one way in which the business sets itself apart from the competition, as Chief Operating Officer, Cory Heisey, discusses: “We have extensive knowledge of marine construction, dating back over 100 years. The company’s been building marine projects since its genesis, which has allowed us to build up the technical expertise and marine fleet to work on a range of niche and highly complex projects.
“In addition, due to the employee stock ownership program, we have numerous employees who’ve been with us their entire career. Beyond that, a number of our team members have passed their knowledge down across generations — we have employee families that are fourth generation McLean.
“It creates a really special atmosphere. We’ve built many signature projects over the last several decades, performing not only for federal agencies like the Coast Guard and Navy, but also for state DOTs, and port authorities. We’ve built long-standing partnerships with clients in those spaces as well.
“We’ve also forged relationships with private clients, extending our services to marine facilities that need to be renovated or upgraded, and have built many from the ground up. It’s our unique combination of inter-generational talent and specialist know-how that keeps McLean Contracting at the forefront of the industry and a trusted partner to our business partners.”
The company’s current focus is on a $90-million design-build contract with the Virginia DOT. For this project, the McLean Contracting team has been tasked by the Shirley/Branch JV with upgrading and replacing bridges on Interstate 64 over the Hampton River to provide additional lane capacity in this heavily travelled corridor.
“We’ve had an exciting year,” shares Kevin. “The company is nearing completion of a new pier and wave screen project for the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and will be finishing an innovative environmental dredging project for the Maryland Environmental Service in Baltimore. We recently moved into transmission line infrastructure to deliver a system reliability improvement project for the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE Exelon).
“This project, near the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, included a high-voltage transmission crossing over the Patapsco River and included the highest monopole towers in North America at 400 feet. We earned a number of incentive bonuses for early completion, safety performance, and environmental stewardship, which was a real milestone for our team.
“We also completed the award-winning Lesner Bridge in Virginia Beach, Virginia. This project required some unique construction methods. We installed the precast segmental superstructure elements of the bridge by using overhead launching gantry, as well as architectural LED lighting for aesthetic purposes. McLean had constructed the existing spans in 1956 and 1966, which we demolished after completion of the new structure.
“The end product is really astonishing to see, especially at night. The lights illuminate the columns and exterior sides of the bridge, creating a striking nighttime display. Many locals and visitors appreciate the programmable aesthetic lighting as a unique feature that enhances the nighttime view of the Lynnhaven Inlet.”
Working on such a diverse range of projects means facing a variety of environmental challenges. “We have a number of processes in place that allow us to address environmental factors without compromising safety or quality,” Cory explains. “It all begins before construction, during the bid solicitation stage. We review the requirements, develop a strategy, and assemble the right team to successfully tailor our services to the needs of the project.
“Our in-house safety department includes trained specialists in both environmental management and health and safety. Every site operates under a tailored plan that outlines potential risks and the measures needed to mitigate them.”
Going the extra mile during pre-construction and planning stages ensures second-to-none safety standards across all McLean Contracting sites, and the company’s reputation for quality is carrying it into a successful 2026, as Cory affirms: “Our goal for the coming year is to continue consistently growing the business. Our construction division makes up around 70 percent of the business, and our dredging, traffic, diving, and marine equipment fabrication and rental divisions make up the rest. We plan to invest more in those specialist services and bring in new clients across an expanded geographical footprint.
“We’re also looking to extend our operations further south. We’re currently exploring some really exciting prospects, which would help the business expand into South Carolina. McLean, in a joint venture partnership with Balfour Beatty, was recently awarded a $429-million project to replace the Interstate 95 bridges over Lake Marion in South Carolina. We’re looking forward to getting started, and seeing where this next chapter takes us,” Cory concludes.