Governor's Bridge (Patuxent River)
Governor Bridge | |
|---|---|
 Governor Bridge | |
| Coordinates | 38°57′05″N 76°41′36″W / 38.95139°N 76.69333°W |
| Carries | Governor Bridge Road |
| Crosses | Patuxent River |
| Owner | State Roads Commission |
| Heritage status | Historic American Engineering Record,[1] Maryland Historical Trust[2] |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Pratt truss[1] |
| Material | Steel[1] |
| Total length | 105 feet 6 inches (32.16 m)[1] |
| Width | 13 feet 7 inches (4.14 m)[1] |
| History | |
| Constructed by | unknown[1] |
| Location | |
 | |
Governor 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]
Although a common bridge type, the current Governor Bridge is one of only two surviving truss bridges in Prince George's County.[1]
History
[edit]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
[edit]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]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i 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.
- ^ a b Maryland Historical Trust Property Number PG-74B-1 & AA-85I (PDF), Maryland Inventory of Historic Bridges, retrieved 5 January 2013
- ^ a b "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.
- ^ Pompi, Jenni (April 26, 2013). "Emergency Repairs Close Governor 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Pratt, Tim (March 31, 2015). "Governor Bridge Road bridge closed over Patuxent River". Capital Gazette. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
- ^ McNamara, John (13 April 2016). "Governor's Bridge won't re-open until 2019". The Capital. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
External links
[edit]- Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. MD-85, "Governor's Bridge, Governor's Bridge Road spanning Patuxent River, Bowie, Prince George's County, MD", 1 photo, 1 data page, 1 photo caption page