Governor's Bridge (Patuxent River)

Governor's Bridge is an historic single-lane bridge over the Patuxent River near Bowie, Maryland. The river marks the boundary between Prince George's and Anne Arundel counties. A bridge has been located on this site since the mid-18th century.[1]

Governor's Bridge
Governor's Bridge
Coordinates38°57′05″N 76°41′36″W
CarriesGovernor's Bridge Road
CrossesPatuxent River
OwnerState Roads Commission
Heritage statusHistoric American Engineering Record,[1]
Maryland Historical Trust[2]
Characteristics
DesignPratt truss[1]
Materialsteel[1]
Total length105 feet 6 inches (32.16 m)[1]
Width13 feet 7 inches (4.14 m)[1]
History
Constructed byunknown[1]

Although a common bridge type, the current Governor's Bridge is one of only two surviving truss bridges in Prince George's County.[1]

History

Three bridges have stood on this site.

The first bridge was constructed by Governor Samuel Ogle to travel between his mansion in Collington and the state capital in Annapolis.[2]

By 1817, the first bridge had been damaged beyond repair or destroyed and a ford was being used to traverse the river at the site.[3] On February 4, 1817, the State of Maryland commissioned Joseph N. Stockett and James Sanders of Anne Arundel County to build a new Governor's Bridge.[3]

Current bridge

The current truss bridge was constructed in 1912.[1]

The bridge was repaired in 2014 after structural deficiencies were discovered during a routine inspection.[4] It was closed in May 2013, underwent major repairs starting in January 2014, and reopened in March 2014.[5]

The bridge closed March 30, 2015, after contractors inspected the bridge and determined it required emergency repairs.[6] In 2016, Prince George's County announced that the bridge was scheduled to reopen in 2019.[7] In October 2018, the county held a public meeting to describe six different proposals for repairing or replacing the bridge.[8] In September 2019, the county held a public meeting to review feedback on the alternatives.[9] As of March 2020, the Prince George's County Capital Roadway and Bridge Projects web site stated that reconstruction was still in the planning stages.[10]

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See also

References
  1. Lavoie, Catherine C. (1992). "Governor's Bridge" (PDF). Historic American Engineering Record. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  2. Maryland Historical Trust Property Number PG-74B-1 & AA-85I (PDF), Maryland Inventory of Historic Bridges, retrieved 5 January 2013
  3. "162". Laws Made and Passed by the General Assembly of the State of Maryland: An act to provide for building Bridges over Patuxent River. State of Maryland. 1817. pp. 178–179.
  4. Pompi, Jenni (April 26, 2013). "Emergency Repairs Close Governor's Bridge Road Bridge: The bridge was temporarily closed by Prince George's County on Friday afternoon". Bowie Patch. Planck LLC d/b/a Patch Media. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
  5. "Governors Bridge Road Bridge Re-Opens" (Press release). Largo, Maryland: Prince George’s County Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPW&T). March 7, 2014. Archived from the original on March 22, 2014. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
  6. Pratt, Tim (March 31, 2015). "Governor Bridge Road bridge closed over Patuxent River". Capital Gazette. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
  7. McNamara, John (13 April 2016). "Governor's Bridge won't re-open until 2019". The Capital. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  8. "Governors Bridge Road Bridge Bridge Rehabilitation Project Public Meeting Flyer". Prince Georges County. 17 October 2018. Archived from the original on 11 March 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  9. "Governors Bridge Road Bridge Bridge Rehabilitation Project Public Information Meeting" (PDF). Prince Georges County. 25 September 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 March 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  10. "Capital Roadway and Bridge Projects | Prince George's County, MD". Prince Georges County. Archived from the original on 11 March 2020. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
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