BACKGROUND The United States Route 11 Bridge traverses the C & O Canal, Riverbottom Park, and the Potomac River in Williamsport, Maryland. It connects western Washington County to eastern West Virginia including Marlowe, Falling Waters, Spring Mills and Martinsburg. The bridge was constructed in 1909 with a privately operated toll booth. Spanning nearly 1,800 feet, the bridge was most recently given a major overhaul in the early 1980’s when the footings were encased with concrete. Official statistics in 2009 showed nearly 8,900 vehicles utilize the bridge daily, the Town is estimating over 15,000 vehicles daily based on traffic reports prior used to determine flow for an overlay on Potomac Street and North Artizan Street. In May 2018, the State Highway Administration provided an overall “Fair” rating of the bridge with the Superstructure and deck conditioning one point away from being considered “Poor”. In context, the bridge needs rehabilitation, but the opportunity to consider alternatives is now. IMPACT TO WILLIAMSPORT When there is an accident on Interstate 81, which is frequent, the image shows the impact on local infrastructure. Interstate traffic will use Exit 1 and Exit 2 to avoid an accident; town streets are not built to handle interstate traffic weights and amounts. The condition of the bridge is in desperate need of replacement. This 2-lane bridge, built in 1909, footers of which are believed to be sinking, while both the overall condition and substructure condition of which were determined to be “POOR” in a 1990 inspection. A MATTER OF PUBLIC SAFETY Crash data from 2022: 31 crashes on US 11 in town limits, 7 injury crashes. Drivers are confused exiting the Maryland side of the bridge as the intersection leads some drivers to accidentally leave US 11 and continue onto a town street. This has been observed with oversized loads which cause damage to local streets not built for the weight. In the reverse direction of flow, drivers have left the roadway into the Cushwa Basin parking area with one known to have left the parking surface an into the canal. Per the PEL Study, the roadway is experiencing some functional cracking…the deck and support beams are one point from being in “Poor” condition. Pedestrians, bicyclists, and other various recreational travelers use the bridge to and from West Virginia and have no safe way to make the trip on foot or bicycle; the edge of the travel lanes are inches from the sidewall of the bridge. BENEFITS 1) Elimination of an area unsafe for pedestrians at the C & O Canal Headquarters and for drivers to navigate; 2) allow for construction to occur without disruption of current traffic patterns; 3) Improve traffic mobility in area and decrease the impact on traffic in the Town Center; 4) support $30 million in enhancements to C & O Canal park area and Headquarters; this is the only location in the Canal with a working tow path bridge, train bridge, lock house, and lock; and 5) Enhance tourism, desirability, and economic development in the region. “Progress is intentional, not inevitable” ~ Governor Wes Moore This quote has resonated over this project since May 2024 when the Governor told the state that we need to be purposeful with our development. The replacement of this bridge would not only help the town, but also benefit southeastern Washington County towards purposeful residential, commercial, and industrial growth.