Built in 1932, the Dover Bridge in Easton – a ‘swinging span’ design – became structurally obsolete and prone to breakdowns, which caused traffic backup. As a result, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) initiated a $65.4 million project to build a new structure while keeping the old bridge in place as a historic site for visitors. The new 2,020-foot-long and 50-foot-high replacement bridge now provides travelers with wider traffic lanes and shoulders to accommodate vehicles, while ensuring safer passage for both bicyclists and pedestrians. It also accommodates marine traffic without disrupting vehicle traffic use of the bridge, while improving river access to kayakers during the summer season. MDOT also ensured construction took place above the nearby wetlands to protect the environment and wildlife, while also adding a gravel road to allow farming equipment to pass more easily under the bridge. This new bridge eliminates the unforeseen traffic stops, allowing travelers to get where they need to go safer and faster.
America's Transportation Awards 