*, Make a one-time payment online with a credit card. The new bridge will provide greater access for cyclists than they previously had.. The land instrumentation data allows the project engineers to evaluate ground movements, pore water pressures, expected settlement, and embankment stability to help control effective fill placements with minimal impact to the adjacent bridge structure. Harry Nice Memorial Bridge northbound - YouTube The Nice Bridge is the furthest downstream bridge across the Potomac River as it carries US 301 along part of that road's outer bypass. The biggest elements of that plan the widening of parts of the Capital Beltway and Interstate 270, and the Purple Line light rail are years from completion, but the new bridge about 40 miles south of Washington is a victory for Hogan before he leaves office in January. President Franklin D. Roosevelt presided over the ground-breaking ceremony for the bridge in 1938. [25] The old bridge is planned to be demolished and converted into an artificial reef that can provide new shelter for marine life in the river. It could not be learned on Tuesday why the authority hired outside counsel to defend itself against the cycling groups or how much the law firm, Venable, will charge for its services. US 301 at Md. 2023 Metropolitan Transportation Commission . For the toll rates on the Golden Gate Bridge, visit www.goldengate.org/tolls. Today, toll roads in Texas are about 25 highways located in different parts of the state. The new bridge was originally going to have a bike lane but it was dropped two years ago to save $60 million. Harry Nice Bridge connects Calvert County, Maryland, to Virginia. Both gubernatorial candidates to succeed Hogan also indicated that they would be interested in revisiting plans for the old bridge, but that wont be possible after Tuesdays ruling. Dont let them spoil a trip. Transponder must be properly mounted in the vehicle. 243 in Leonardtown . It came into existence earlier than the interstate highway system, and all revenue comes from road tolls collected, with no additional tax deductions for its maintenance or management. Been going back to the office a little so been driving more. Contact Editor Sarah Vogelsong for questions: info@virginiamercury.com. * Click on the map to see traffic conditions. The future of the old bridge fell to U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman, who declined to issue an injunction blocking the demolition Tuesday, saying after a three-hour hearing that the groups hadnt met standards to halt the plans a pause the state estimated would cost taxpayers $21,500 each day. The 11th-hour announcement sparked speculation that the authority rushed completion of the replacement span to blunt the cycling groups lawsuit. At the same time, the demolition process was expedited after a part of the old bridge fell into the river earlier this year, Wolfe said. Our firm seeks new relationships with teaming partners to provide state of the art support in a strong, but niche market. February 2023 (268) January 2023 (291) December 2022 (290) November 2022 (202) October 2022 . Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. So what happened to that governor so worried about the business climate that he found a relatively modest $5.40 one-way toll objectionable? By: Bruce DePuyt - October 11, 2022 8:54 pm. David M. Higgins II is an award-winning journalist passionate about uncovering the truth and telling compelling stories. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. [22] A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new bridge was held on October 12, 2022, with Governor Hogan in attendance, while the bridge opened to traffic the following day. Born in Baltimore and raised in Southern Maryland, he has lived in several East The Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial/Senator Thomas "Mac" Middleton Bridge, also known as the Potomac River Bridge, is a 1.7-mile (2.7 km), two-lane continuous truss bridge that spans the Potomac River between Newburg in Charles County, Maryland and Dahlgren in King George County, Virginia, United States. Originally called the Potomac River Bridge, it was renamed in April 1968. The decision came as a disappointment to Maryland bike advocates, who viewed the bridge as a key link in what they envision as a 50-mile network spanning Maryland and Virginia. Larry Hogan (R) and other dignitaries are scheduled to open the new span Wednesday morning. with the new bridge opening in 2023. There are four ways to pay bridge tolls: FasTrak, License Plate Account, One-Time Payment, and Invoice. The administration believes the toll rates are consistent with what is charged in Northern Virginia. The cycle begins when you open your account and runs on the same day each month. A federal judge in Baltimore said late Tuesday that the organizations failed to meet the high legal threshold for blocking demolition, which lawyers for the state saidwill begin later this week. Use our E-ZPass toll rate calculator to plan your driving routes and estimate the cost of tolls based on your vehicle type. In late September, then-Maryland Transportation Secretary Greg Slater and Stephanie Pollack, the deputy administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, discussed the project by phone, according to emails. Starting in March 2022, two-way traffic will operate on northbound US 301 so crews can remove the existing toll plaza. NEWBURG, Md. Great relief from expensive citations for not paying while driving. The law gives federal officials little say in how projects are designed generally requiring them to approve loans to creditworthy applicants but Marylands application was pulled from the agenda of the Transportation Departments Council on Credit and Finance in August. Cost per cycle: $35.00 for up to 25 trips, Cost per cycle: $20.00 for up to 10 trips, Cost per cycle: $52.50 for up to 25 trips, Cost: $20.00 per year for unlimited trips. New Potomac River bridge to open; judge allows demolition of old span. Montgomery County officials and transit activists have similarly criticized Hogans plans for widening the Beltway and I-270, saying those plans will lock in decades of car dominance. The other, the $2.9 billion Red Line in Baltimore, was scuttled as part. Dont let them spoil a trip. In a letter to federal lawmakers in July, Maryland Transportation Secretary James F. Ports said there were concerns about scour if the bridge were left standing. Larry Hogan will. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Heres how to stay safe. Harry W. Nice Memorial/Sen. Tolls will be E-ZPass only . The legislatures budget analysts have concluded that over six years, the authority has been shorted $335 million it would have otherwise collected (and perhaps used to leverage borrowing for substantially more). Ohio toll road is a highway about 241 miles long with limited access. Just ride under it and see the rusted beams and the concrete pilings that are just corroding.. Demolition of historic Nice Bridge in southern Md. Tractor-trailers will be paying far, far more. Hijinx. Denver The Mile High City. This App allows us worry-free travel on TOLL ROADSAutomatically replenishing our account, notifying us of Automatically paying our access to the Toll Road. This restriction is on I-70. The lovely old "301" bridge, recently named Harry W Nice Memorial Bridge, crosses the Potomac River between the two states. You can contact us online, by phone or in person: By phone: 1-888-321-6824 Via our contact form In person at one of our Customer Service Centers Two Axle Vehicles These discount plans are available for all two axle vehicles whether they are enrolled in a private or business account: Baltimore Region Discount Plan Foundation Test Group (FTG) is a certified Women-Owned (WBE) engineering and testing company networked to support design and construction projects for a diverse group of Engineers, Architects and Contractors as well as multiple state and local governments. Transit: Metro to spend $55 million on wheel repairs after release of NTSB report, Air travel: Bidens FAA nominee appears before Senate committee, Rail safety: Federal advisory urges railroads to improve use of safety detectors, DOT jets: Transportation Department watchdog to audit Buttigiegs use of government jets. In testimony before U.S. District Court Judge Deborah Boardman, former Virginia state Del. - Weather permitting, on Tuesday, March 15, two-way traffic will operate on northbound US 301 so work can begin to remove the existing Nice/Middleton Bridge toll plaza. *Drivers without a valid payment option get a mailed bill or violation and pay the highest toll rate. Last month, the Maryland Transportation Authority finalized its toll rates for the express toll lanes on the Capital Budget and Interstate 270. Thank you. If the account is opened using cash, check, or money order, you must have a prepaid toll balance and the toll is deducted from the balance each time your vehicle crosses a bridge. - It's a big decision coming down to the very last minute: Whether to tear down a bridge connecting Charles County, Maryland with King George County Virginia. The Kansas Highway is the only toll road in the state, running in all directions from the border with Oklahoma. The Nice/Middleton Bridge opened in 1940 and carries two lanes of U.S. 301 for 1.7 miles over the Potomac, connecting Charles County, Md., and King George County, Va. Wolfe and attorneys for the state argued that the old span is literally falling apart and soon could pose a danger to the public. Meanwhile, a federal judge Tuesday rejected a plea from bike and trail advocates to save a parallel bridge from demolition. further notice (July 28, 2022). For 81 years, the Harry W. Nice Memorial/Senator Thomas Mac Middleton Bridge has provided a crucial highway link between Southern Maryland and Virginia. When renewing, please have your license plate number and payment information ready.. The wait is nearly over for travelers around the region. Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. In addition to the ongoing bridge instrumentation monitoring, FTG is monitoring land embankment construction using a combination of inclinometers, piezometers, settlement plates, and ground monitoring points. And, if you drive a lot and are looking for a new toll payment account without a transponder or toll tag, you've come to the right place! Solo travel can be risky. Now, theres nothing wrong with drivers paying less for bridges, roads and tunnels but its no great accomplishment to simply push maintenance and replacement costs down the proverbial road. If you dont choose any of the other three methods, an invoice will be mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle. Includes savings on 3 and 4 axle tolls at the Hatem Bridge. Baltimore Sun editorial writers offer opinions and analysis on news and issues relevant to readers. US 301 North of the Plaza at the Harry Nice Bridge . On Tuesday, a federal. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. I think its reasonable that with new people, you would have different questions, Ports said. And after a six-month delay, the Transportation Department approved the 30-year loan without new conditions. Md., and as reporter/anchor at NBC affiliate WVIR-TV in Charlottesville, VA. PLEASE NOTE: Transponder must be properly mounted in the vehicle. The reason? Video toll rate is $4.00 now and will return to $6.00 30 days after the state of emergency is lifted. NEWBURG, Md. [23] The approved bridge design has several design alterations which shave more than $200 million from the originally projected price of around $1 billion, allowing Governor Hogan to shift his support in favor of the bridge. 8 less-expensive spring break destinations, alleging that the environmental review of the Montgomery project was flawed, Metro to spend $55 million on wheel repairs after release of NTSB report, Bidens FAA nominee appears before Senate committee, Federal advisory urges railroads to improve use of safety detectors, Transportation Department watchdog to audit Buttigiegs use of government jets. Rt. Additional details:Valid at all E-ZPass locations. When driving from the west, it passes near Lake Michigan and the Indiana Dunes, near Chesterton and Michigan City, the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, and the Amish community of Nappanee, Middlebury, and Shipshewana. Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge from King George County, Virginia into Charles County, Maryland south of Washington, D.C. C. GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX, by Bruce DePuyt, Virginia Mercury October 11, 2022. In 2014, the bridge handled approximately 6.4 million vehicles, with a daily average of approximately 17,500.[1]. The Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge in Southern Maryland, which is being replaced, will go cashless just before the new bridge opens in 2023, officials said. Slater, now the head of the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority in Florida, declined through a spokeswoman to comment on the Maryland project. The Nice-Middleton Bridge, named for former Gov. Route 5 . Much of the testimony focused on scouring, the phenomenon that occurs when two bridges in close proximity cause erosion of the soil at the base of the piers, leading to potential structural problems. Many toll roads have discontinued cash payments. This app is so easy to use, and I can travel without having to worry about missing tolls. But the bulk of federal highway money is passed to states with few conditions on how it is spent. Boardman quoted from the letter and raised the issue several times during the hearing. Ports said in the interview that Maryland officials ultimately were able to satisfy federal authorities and clear up misunderstandings they might have had about the loan application. A One-Time Payment can be made online with a credit card or paid with cash at Cash Payment Locations. Each service area has a restaurant, gas station, restroom, ATM, dog-walking areas, and access to drinking water. ADVISORY: Expect Delays March 15 As Crews Remove Nice/Middleton Bridge Toll Plaza - The BayNet. SoMDC appreciates all feedback from the community, along with tips, pictures, articles contributed, and support. Advocates for the bike path are exploring ways to keep the original bridge as a dedicated bike and pedestrian crossing. Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District, 2023 Metropolitan Transportation Commission, by mail if you would like to send a check, Open a FasTrak account online and get a ready-to-use toll tag mailed to you, or. The new bridge is complete, but the groups argued that Boardman could still order Maryland to preserve the old bridge an approach that had the backing of federal lawmakers. Subscribers to The Daily Record can access the digital edition archive. Still, the federal loan was more appealing because it would allow the state to lock in what would likely be a lower interest rate before drawing on the federal funds in 2023. At the Potomac bridge, initial plans called for a separated bike and pedestrian crossing a feature Hogan highlighted in the 2016 announcement but the idea was abandoned in 2019 as a cost-savings measure. At the Nice Bridge, it was a 90-cent reduction for southbound cars from $5.40 to $4.50. Because tolls are only collected in one direction at the JFK Highway and Hatem Memorial Bridge, two trips are deducted for each passage. The Dahlgren Railroad Heritage Trail Association, the Potomac Heritage Trail Association, and Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club filed a lawsuit over the change late last month and argued that saving the 80-year-old Nice Bridge for pedestrian and bicycle use would remedy the issue. An Active Duty member, their spouse . On Tuesday, however, just hours before an emergency court hearing, the authority announced that the new bridge will open on Wednesday. For example, if you open an account on November 3 and your five axle vehicle uses an eligible facility on November 6, discounts will be applied on: Calculation of the post-usage discount is based on toll usage and does not include any applicable fees that may have been deducted from your account during the calculation period. Local leaders in Charles County previously concluded they couldnt manage the cost of maintaining the bridge, and the transportation authority plans to demolish it, using the debris to build a fish reef. $27 billion in new money aimed at fixing the nations aging bridges. Located in Maryland, the Harry W Nice Memorial Bridge is a major bridge facility. Theres the Nice Bridges bike lane right there with quite a bit left over that might have gone toward helping finance a new Bay Bridge (to name another costly and controversial project waiting in the wings). Nice/Middleton Bridge Drivers Update Flye, Nice/Middleton Bridge AET Project Phase Renderings, More by David M. Higgins II, Publisher/Editor, Charles County Public Schools Launches Partner in Education Program to Build Stronger Community Relationships, Collaboration between Maryland Brewers Brings Unique Hops to the Beer Scene, Maryland High School Graduation Rates Remain Consistently High, Despite Pandemic Challenges, Maryland Considers Licensing Independent Evaluators of Sports Handicappers, MDBOE and MDSE Release Phase 2 of Strategic Plan to Provide World-Class Education for Every Student, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic, Right and left lane closures along southbound US 301, Construction of tolling gantry and ITS/electrical equipment installation, Installation and testing of tolling equipment, Activation of overhead tolling gantry and highway-speed AET cashless tolling, Tolls collected in the southbound direction only, Two-way traffic will operate on northbound US 301, Shoulders will be closed through the project work area, Removal of toll booths, islands and canopy. When Hogan announced plans to replace the 1940s-era bridge, he pledged to include a dedicated bike/pedestrian lane on the new span. Attempts to influence the decisions of state transportation departments such as a December memo encouraging them not to widen highways have provoked opposition from state leaders. The loan ultimately was approved without new conditions but the wait increased its cost by at least $20 million as interest rates rose, according to a February estimate provided in documents obtained by The Washington Post. At the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, for example, the base one-way rate for cars went from $6 to $4. Brace yourselves, Maryland motoring public. v2.17.0. Not far from the toll road is the town of Culver, sometimes called Cape Cod Midwest. - A federal judge has ruled that a lawsuit brought by outdoor enthusiasts and bicyclist groups to maintain the old Harry Nice/Middleton Bridge (US 301) did not meet the standards . But the two-lane Potomac River. Ports, who replaced Slater as state transportation secretary, said in an interview that Maryland officials were trying to make sure their position was understood by a relatively new set of leaders at the Federal Highway Administration. To use FasTrak, you need an account with a prepaid balance and a toll tag. The Governor Harry W Nice Memorial / Senator Thomas 'Mac' Middleton Bridge was built in 1940. The original bridge will likely be demolished; no traffic uses it since the new bridge opened. on track to demolish old Nice Bridge", "Cyclist groups seek to delay demolition of old Nice Bridge over Potomac", New Nice Middleton Bridge Project - Official website, MdTA: Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge - Description (in PDF format), MdTA: Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge - Improvement Project, U.S. 301 Waldorf Area Transportation Improvements Project website, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Governor_Harry_W._Nice_Memorial_Bridge&oldid=1131765011, Continuous truss bridges in the United States, Bridges of the United States Numbered Highway System, Transportation buildings and structures in Charles County, Maryland, Buildings and structures in King George County, Virginia, Transportation in King George County, Virginia, Short description is different from Wikidata, Infobox mapframe without OSM relation ID on Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. All Bay Area toll bridges have switched to automatic toll collection. The groups, who are asking for a temporary restraining order, to halt the demolition, also allege that the authority lacks the power to destroy the bridge under environmental laws, stating in a complaint, "Using explosives to demolish parts of the Historic Nice Bridge or the rubble from the bridge to create a 'reef' has not been evaluated appropriately for the impact on the natural habitat and human environment, including the taking of endangered species or disruption of their habitats. The infrastructure package handed the Department of Transportation new discretionary grant programs and increased the size of other programs, which the administration has tied to goals like combating climate change and promoting racial justice. Cash payment is no longer collected at any of the eight toll bridges. by JJ Atchison October 13, 2022. Subject to pre-paid toll deposit. P.S. Florida is rightfully one of the most visited states in the U.S. due to its warm climate, many attractions, and well-developed infrastructure. They operate separately from the newsroom. We asked ChatGPT to plan the perfect tour of D.C. Heres how it went. Boardman also concluded that granting an injunction would only delay the bridges demolition. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun). 11408 Cronridge Drive, Suite K This combination forces vehicles to slow and merge as they cross the bridge, which often results in backups. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The rebate is based on the number of trips made with a single transponder assigned to a five (5) or more axle vehicle that is used at eligible facilities. Usually the Office of the Attorney General represents state agencies. may proceed after judges ruling, Video Series: Off the Record with Sloane Brown, YOUR CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS/PRIVACY POLICY, Marris Hoffee and Jamie Ferguson | Mid-Shore Pro Bono, Sheila McDonald, Marciel Rojas Rosario, Derek L. Simmons, Chick Zoll and Michael Latimer | Board of Child Care. The state has clashed with supporters of alternative ways of crossing the lower stretches of the Potomac, a dispute that resembles another taking place closer to Washington. The project is being coordinated with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), and is proceeding in conjunction with the Maryland State Highway Administration's U.S. Route 301 South Corridor Transportation Study[19]