Steve Burns
WMAL.com
NEWBURG, MD. – (WMAL) Maryland officials are announcing construction of a new bridge spanning the Potomac between Charles County, Maryland and King George County, Virginia, to replace the aging Governor Harry Nice Bridge.
The current bridge opened in 1940, after a groundbreaking the year before attended by President Franklin Roosevelt. It is still structurally sound, Maryland Transportation Secretary Pete Rahn said, but would need extensive rehabilitation in the near future.
“I know a lot of people do not like the two-way traffic on narrow lanes and that very steep approach,” Rahn told WMAL. “The new bridge will be four lanes, two in each direction, and it will include bicycle-pedestrian way as well.”
He said construction is expected to start in 2018 with completion estimated in 2023.
The bridge is an important link for southern Maryland, connecting it to the 95 corridor and various military installations on the riverfront. It’s also frequently used by long-distance travelers attempting to bypass the usual congestion around the D.C.-area.
The bridge is expected to cost $765 million, reduced from $1 billion, the Hogan administration says, through practical design changes.
It is welcome news for the region’s infrastructure picture, but the crossing is a bit down river from what is perhaps an even more in-demand project. Local leaders have been clamoring for a solution at the American Legion Bridge, carrying the Beltway over the Potomac from Montgomery County to Fairfax County, for years. The bridge opened 53 years ago and is a constant source of congestion in the region.
“We’re not ignoring the Legion Bridge. It’s on our radar,” Rahn said. “We have started the process of an evaluation to determine what we can do with it.”
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