Governor's Bridge (Patuxent River)

Governor's Bridge

Governor's Bridge
Coordinates 38°57′05″N 76°41′36″W / 38.95139°N 76.69333°W / 38.95139; -76.69333Coordinates: 38°57′05″N 76°41′36″W / 38.95139°N 76.69333°W / 38.95139; -76.69333
Carries Governor's 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]

Governor's 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's Bridge is one of only two surviving truss bridges in Prince George's County.[1]

History

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

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] It is scheduled to reopen in 2019.[7]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 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.
  2. 1 2 Maryland Historical Trust Property Number PG-74B-1 & AA-85I (PDF), Maryland Inventory of Historic Bridges, retrieved 5 January 2013
  3. 1 2 "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.
  4. ↑ Pompi, Jenni (April 26, 2013). "Emergency Repairs Close Governor's 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.
  5. ↑ "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. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
  6. ↑ Pratt, Tim (March 31, 2015). "Governor Bridge Road bridge closed over Patuxent River". Capital Gazette. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
  7. ↑ McNamara, John (13 April 2016). "Governor's Bridge won't re-open until 2019". The Capital. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
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