Skip to main content

Maryland's Nice/Middleton Bridge Replacement Project Nears the Finish Line

Image
By

 


Down on the lower Potomac River south of Washington, D.C. and near the Chesapeake Bay, an internationally-renowned contracting team is building the next large-scale bridge project in the state’s history. The existing Nice/Middleton Bridge (officially the “Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial/Senator Thomas "Mac" Middleton Bridge”) carrying U.S. Route 301 across the Potomac between Newburg, MD and Dahlgren, VA is being replaced with a new structure intended to better serve the high traffic demands of the present and future.

The name of this bridge has changed multiple times over the years. When it was dedicated in 1940, it was known simply as the Potomac River Bridge (a name folks still use to describe it, even today). In 1967, the bridge was renamed in honor of Harry W. Nice, who served as Governor of Maryland from 1935-39 and was instrumental in approving the funding necessary to build the bridge. In 2018, the bridge's name was modified once again to honor Thomas Middleton, who served as a State Senator in the Maryland Legislature from 1995-2019, representing the state's 28th district in southern Charles County, where the bridge is located.

Above: The old Nice/Middleton Bridge (photographed here in 2015) was completed in 1940 and is a vital traffic artery along the US Route 301 corridor east of Washington, D.C.
Below: The old Nice/Middleton Bridge (photographed here in 2015) features narrow roadways and no shoulders, sometimes making for a intimidating experience for drivers.

Under the guidance of the Maryland Transportation Authority (MdTA) and Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), a $463 million design-build contract was awarded to the contracting joint venture team of Skanska-Corman-McLean (SCM). Since Maryland owns all of the Potomac River up to the low tide line on the Virginia shore, that agency is responsible for nearly all costs associated with the project. (Virginia has supplied a relatively small amount of funding for the improved US Route 301 approach roads in Dahlgren.) The scope of the project is highlighted by the replacement of the existing bridge with a new four-lane bridge, designed to improve traffic flow and overall safety across the Potomac. Unlike the existing bridge, which does not have any barriers separating oncoming traffic, a concrete median divider will be built along with the new bridge’s deck. The new bridge’s four lane deck will accommodate the ever-increasing traffic demands of the 301 corridor while also providing a bit more margin for error for drivers as opposed to the existing bridge’s narrow roadway.

Above: The existing Nice/Middleton Bridge stands guard as its replacement takes shape a short distance upstream.
Below: The new Nice/Middleton Bridge nears completion in these June 2022 photos

Construction of the bridge began in July 2020 and it is expected to be opened in early 2023. Upon completion of the new structure, the old bridge will be closed and demolished. Pieces of the old bridge's concrete and steel superstructure will be recycled for use in the creation of new artificial reefs around the lower Chesapeake Bay nearby.

The following pictures of the existing Nice/Middleton Bridge were taken by the author of this post. Click on each photo to see a larger version.

The following pictures of the construction site were taken by the author of this post using a DJI quadcopter drone. Always use proper judgment and situational awareness when flying in areas such as this. Click on each photo to see a larger version.


Virginia DOT website devoted to the Project

How to Get There:
Labels:
Location: Newburg, MD 20664, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Crescent City Connection (New Orleans, LA)

By
The Crescent City Connection is a massive dual-span steel truss bridge that spans the lower Mississippi River at downtown New Orleans, about 95 river miles upstream from the mouth of the great river at the Head of Passes Light. If counted as a single bi-directional highway bridge, the parallel spans combine to form the single busiest bridge on the Mississippi River and its importance as a linchpin in the region’s transportation network cannot be overstated. While there have been various schemes over the years to construct bridges downriver from Algiers Point, this bridge has been the southernmost bridge on the Mississippi River since its initial construction in the 1950s. The years immediately following the end of World War II were a transformational period in the history of New Orleans. Already one of the great economic and cultural centers of the American Deep South, it was recognized at this time that major changes and improvements to the city’s transportation infrastructure would b...
Post a Comment
Read more

Old US Route 99 through Tipton, Tulare, and Tagus Ranch

By
This summer I had a look into the alignment history of US Route 99 through the Tulare County communities of Tipton, Tulare, and Tagus Ranch.  While this slab below might seem like much it is one of the few remaining reminders of how US Route 99 was during the 1920s in Tulare County. This blog is part of the larger Gribblenation US Route 99 Page.  For more information pertaining to the other various segments of US Route 99 and it's three-digit child routes check out the link the below. Gribblenation US Route 99 Page Part 1; the history of US Route 99 in Tipton, Tulare, and Tagus Ranch Tipton and Tulare were both founded in 1872 as sidings of the Southern Pacific Railroad.  The Southern Pacific Railroad laid the groundwork for development of southern San Joaquin Valley.  Previous to the Southern Pacific Railroad travel via wagon or foot in Central California tended to avoid San Joaquin Valley in favor of the Stockton-Los Angeles Road.  The Stockton Los Ange...
Post a Comment
Read more

Former US Route 101 and California State Route 41 through Paso Robles

By
Paso Robles is a city located on the Salinas River of San Luis Obispo County, California.  As originally configured the surface alignments of US Route 101 and California State Route 41 converged in downtown Paso Robles.  US Route 101 originally was aligned through Paso Robles via Spring Street.  California State Route 41 entered the City of Paso Robles via Union Road and 13th Street where it intersected US Route 101 at Spring Street.  US Route 101 and California State Route 41 departed Paso Robles southbound via a multiplex which split near Templeton.   Pictured above is the cover of the September/October 1957 California Highways & Public Works which features construction of the Paso Robles Bypass.  Pictured below is the 1935 Division of Highways Map of San Luis Obispo County which depicts US Route 101 and California State Route 41 intersecting in downtown Paso Robles.   Part 1; the history of US Route 101 and California State Route 41 i...
Post a Comment
Read more