No New Bridge, Just Plans

Last week the Maryland Transportation Authority (MdTA) told Charles County officials that it does not have the money to fund its Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge Improvement Project beyond the planning phase.

“You should not assume this project is funded through [to] construction,” said Glen Smith, Project Manager for the Nice Bridge study, to the Charles County Board of Commissioners.

At a press briefing that afternoon, Board of Commissioners President Wayne Cooper (D-at large) confirmed Smith’s news, “[state agencies] barely have enough money to maintain the roads.”  Cooper called plans for a new bridge “a false hope”.

According to Commissioner Gary V. Hodge (D-district 4), the problem is that Maryland has too many aging highway structures.  Each is in critical need of replacement and vying for priority funding.  The Nice Bridge was built to last a maximum of 80 years before requiring refurbishment.  The structure marks its 67 year in operation this month.

Cost is also an obstacle.  The price tag for each potential project, given the current high cost of concrete and steel, makes construction prohibitively expensive.  County officials note that the cost of improvements to the 1.7-mile structure (connecting Charles County with King George County, Virginia) could easily reach billions of dollars.  In comparison, expansion of the Thomas Johnson Bridge linking Calvert and St. Mary’s Counties is anticipated to cost $500 million.

Smith told the commissioners the MdTA is looking for funding sources:  private companies, state or federal grants, etc.  He asked that the Board encourage county residents to support the bridge project, in the hope that public opinion will somehow translate into project funding.

MdTA is an independent State agency that acts in the interests of, but separately from the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT).  The Authority, established in 1971, does not receive annual revenue from the State budget.  It relies solely on revenues collected from the toll roads and bridges within its jurisdiction.

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