Baltimore secures funds to revitalize Hanover Street Bridge and corridor connecting neighborhoods, addressing safety concerns and improving pedestrian access. Planning to take four years before construction begins. Funding sources uncertain due to state budget issues.
Baltimore is taking initial steps to make over the corridor that connects some southside neighborhoods to the rest of the Maryland city, but it will likely be years before the project, which includes rehabilitating or replacing the ancient Hanover Street Bridge, could become reality.
Maryland lawmakers announced a $15.5 million federal grant in June to begin planning to revitalize the Hanover Street Corridor, a 2.4-mi. stretch that includes the 108-year-old drawbridge over the Patapsco River that links Cherry Hill to Port Covington.
The Baltimore Banner reported July 29 that while the bridge makes up less than 0.5 mi. of the corridor, it represents the main connection between South Baltimore residents and the city's core.
It also is a major throughline of traffic.
More than 40,000 cars use the bridge each weekday, according to Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) data. Additionally, its role as a crucial artery only increased after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed in March and the city rerouted truck traffic across the Hanover Street Bridge.
The federal funds will be used to plan improvements along the corridor, including sidewalks, new bike lanes and better connections to waterfront parks and trails.
In speaking with a Banner reporter, a Baltimore Department of Transportation (DOT) spokesperson said planning for the project will take four years before any construction can get under way.
Discussions About Bridge's Fate Have Lasted for Years
Baltimore government officials and neighborhood advocates have talked for years about revitalizing or replacing the Hanover Street Bridge, officially known as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge.
A 2018 study funded by both the federal government and the city recommended a $50 million effort to make structural improvements to the road structure and decrease the number of lanes from five to four. This would allow more space for pedestrians and cyclists on each side of the bridge.
Currently, each driving lane runs parallel to a narrow sidewalk riddled with dents and cracks, making it difficult for wheelchairs and bicycles to cross. In addition, no barriers separate pedestrians from fast-moving traffic.
The city worked to resurface the bridge's roadway and pavement in 2018 as a stopgap measure to deal with its numerous fissures and potholes, but the structure has not seen significant work since then.
"It is physically difficult for someone across the [river] to access new amenities and opportunities [on the opposite side of the Patapsco] if they don't have a car," said Brad Rogers, the executive director of the South Baltimore Gateway Partnership. "Redesigning and rebuilding the bridge so that it has ample pedestrian infrastructure ensures that people on one side of the water aren't physically divided from opportunities across the water."
An ambitious $175 million plan called Reimagine Middle Branch was created to redevelop neighborhoods along the 11-mi. Middle Branch shoreline of the Patapsco River. It endorsed the 2018 study's recommendations with a slight modification: moving the pedestrian and bicycle lanes all to one side.
While the 2018 study looked into a shorter stretch of Hanover Street, the new federal funds aim to revitalize a larger stretch from Interstate 95 to Brooklyn and the Anne Arundel County line. Baltimore DOT looked at a larger corridor this time around to ensure that South Baltimore residents on either side of the river can access jobs and resources in other neighborhoods.
Where Will Baltimore Gets Needed Funds?
Although up in the air, Baltimore would likely use a mix of state and federal funding, according to the city's transportation agency. However, the money it receives from the state to maintain roads and bridges is under threat after recent Maryland budget shortfalls.
The Baltimore DOT did not provide the Banner with an estimated cost to improve the Hanover Street Bridge.
The federal planning monies come from a U.S. Department of Transportation initiative for infrastructure projects around the country. This year's package of grants also includes nearly $5 million to redesign streets around the nearby Reisterstown Plaza Metro Station.
Meleny Thomas, who directs the South Baltimore Community Land Trust, described the entire corridor as "a pivotal point in the community" that is in desperate need of repair.
She is excited that it could finally get the facelift it needs, even if it is few years away. Thomas's one concern is what happens to all those cars during construction, especially if the bridge has to close completely.
"The only thing I'm worried about is what the transition will look like," she explained. "But we'll cross that bridge when we get there."
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