SOLOMONS, Md. – The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration will begin a multi-day routine bridge inspection of the MD 4 bridge over the Patuxent River (Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge) at the Calvert / St. Mary’s County line beginning November 4.
The night-time inspection will take place through Wednesday, November 6, from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. the following morning, weather permitting.
During the inspection, crews will close one lane and alternate traffic in the open lane using a flagging operation. Portable variable message signs will be placed along area state routes to make travelers aware of the lane closure. The inspection will be performed by the State Highway Administration’s contractor JMT (Johnson Mirmiran & Thompson). Overnight travelers should plan extra travel time to cross the bridge.
Customers may contact the District 5 Office at 410-841-1000 or toll-free at 1-800-331-5603 for additional information. Drivers are asked to stay alert, stay focused, look for reduced speed limits as well as driving pattern changes, and slow down in construction zones.
For a list of all major State Highway Administration projects, visit Project Portal or the homepage at roads.maryland.gov. For a look at real-time traffic conditions, go to md511.maryland.gov.
Why is it that this particular bridge undergoes an inordinate number of ‘inspections’? I know the reason why, but the MDOT and MD-SHA needs to tell the public what the results of all these inspections found. The vast majority of bridges in Maryland are only required to be inspected every 2-3 years. Thomas Johnson bridge seems to be inspected every 4-5 months. There is going to come a day when that bridge is declared unsafe for vehicle traffic, much like it was almost immediately after opening. Think traffic was a nightmare then, imagine what it would be like now if they had to close it.