Governor Larry Hogan will lead a ribbon cutting ceremony hosted by the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) for the new Governor Harry W. Nice/Senator Thomas “Mac” Middleton Bridge (US 301) in Charles County on Wednesday October 12th. The new span will open to traffic on Thursday morning, October 13.
Hogan stated today is a historic day for the region as we announce the grand opening of the new Nice-Middleton Bridge—replacing a 82-year old bridge with a state-of-the-art Potomac River crossing between Maryland and Virginia on budget and ahead of schedule.
The $463 million, bridge over the Potomac is the largest construction project in Maryland history, and will double the vehicle capacity of the old bridge with it’s four 12-foot-wide lanes.
The construction started in July of 2020 and was completed several months ahead of schedule.
Nice/Middleton Bridge Motorists: Minimal traffic impacts expected with the new bridge ribbon cutting ceremony to be held later this morning. The new span (both directions) will open to traffic on Thursday morning, October 13. More details to come later today, October 12, 2022.
Three bike trail advocacy groups asked a federal judge to stop Maryland Transportation from demolishing the old bridge, stating it can be used in an network of trails spanning from Maryland and Virginia.
The judge ruled the lawsuit did not meet the standards necessary to halt impending demolition. Brian Wolfe, the MDTA’s director of project development testified and stated that the authority knew in June of 2022 that the new span would be ready for traffic in late September or early October of 2022.
Wolfe and attorneys for the state argued that the old span is literally falling apart and could pose a danger to the public both on the bridge and passing underneath. They also maintained that groups looking to save it have yet to put forward any credible plan for financing the future needs and operating costs to maintain the old span.
The biggest complain was possible “scouring,” due to how close the two bridges are to each other, they worried it would cause erosion of the soil at the base of the spans and piers leading to potential structural problems and erosion, with Wolfe saying “preserving the old bridge would eventually cause problems for the new span.”
The Harry Nice Bridge opened December 15, 1940, and is slated to be demolished starting October 13, 2022.
The MDTA issued a short statement praising the judge’s ruling.
“We appreciate the court’s ruling today recognizing the facts of this case and denying the request for a temporary restraining order for the demolition of the existing Nice/Middleton Bridge,” the agency said. “We thank the court for its time and consideration.”
All photos taken in September of 2022, courtesy of the Maryland Transportation Authority.
