Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial/Senator Thomas "Mac" Middleton Bridge |
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| Coordinates | 38°21′42″N 76°59′36″W / 38.3618°N 76.9934°W |
| Carries | 2 lanes of  US 301 |
| Crosses | Potomac River |
| Locale | Dahlgren, Virginia and Newburg, Maryland |
| Maintained by | Maryland Transportation Authority |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Continuous truss bridge |
| Total length | 1.7 mi (2.7 km) |
| Clearance below | 135 ft (41 m) |
| History | |
| Designer | J. E. Greiner Company |
| Construction begin | March 1938 |
| Construction cost | $5 million |
| Opened | December 1940 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 17,500 (2014) |
| Toll | $6.00 (southbound) per two-axle vehicle beginning July 1, 2013; E-ZPass accepted |
The Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial/Senator Thomas "Mac" Middleton Bridge is a very important bridge. It is also known as the Potomac River Bridge. This bridge is about 1.7-mile (2.7 km) long and has two lanes. It crosses the Potomac River, connecting Newburg in Maryland and Dahlgren in Virginia.
This bridge is a key part of U.S. Route 301. This route is often used by drivers to avoid busy roads around Baltimore and Washington, D.C.. Because it's so popular, especially on holidays, the bridge can get quite crowded.
The bridge is narrow, with only one lane in each direction. It also has steep slopes and a slower speed limit. This means cars have to slow down and merge, which can cause traffic jams. In 2014, about 6.4 million vehicles crossed the bridge. That's about 17,500 vehicles every day!
The bridge is one of eight toll facilities run by the Maryland Transportation Authority. This means you have to pay a fee to cross it. Since March 2020, tolls are collected electronically. You can pay using E-ZPass or by Video Tolling, which reads your license plate.
Bridge History
The groundbreaking ceremony for this bridge happened in 1938. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was there to celebrate the start of its construction. When it first opened in December 1940, it was simply called the Potomac River Bridge.
In 1967, the bridge was renamed to honor Harry W. Nice. He was the governor of Maryland from 1935 to 1939. This bridge was very important because it was the first highway link between Maryland and Virginia south of Washington, D.C.
Later, in October 2018, the name of Senator Thomas M. Middleton was added to the bridge. So now, its full official name is the Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial/Senator Thomas "Mac" Middleton Bridge.
Future Plans for the Bridge
The Maryland Transportation Authority has been looking into ways to improve the bridge. Since the current bridge only has two lanes, it often causes traffic bottlenecks. The roads leading to the bridge on both sides have four lanes, so the bridge becomes a narrow point.
In 2012, a study suggested replacing the old bridge with a new one. The new bridge would have four lanes and even a path for bikes and walkers! This new bridge would be built just north of the current one. Once the new bridge is finished, the old one would be taken down.
Building a new bridge is a big project and costs a lot of money. In 2013, Governor Martin O'Malley announced that funds were set aside for the design and land purchase for the new bridge.
Even though there was some debate about building a new bridge, the Maryland Transportation Authority Board voted in November 2016 to build a new four-lane bridge. Construction on this exciting new bridge began in June 2020 and is expected to be finished in 2023. The new design is also more affordable than first thought, which helped get the project approved.
Images for kids
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Early construction on the replacement bridge, April 2021
