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Delegate urges bridge rebuild to route non‑bridge traffic away from Dundalk neighborhoods
Summary
House Bill 679 would require the Maryland Transportation Authority to design approaches to the rebuilt Patapsco River (Key) Bridge so that vehicles not crossing the bridge have direct access to state roads and avoid routing through densely populated Dundalk neighborhoods. Sponsors and trucking interests cited safety and quality‑of‑life concerns.
House Bill 679 would require the Maryland Transportation Authority (MdTA) to design entrances and exits to the replacement bridge over the Patapsco River so that vehicles not crossing the bridge retain open ingress and egress to state roads, sponsors told the committee on Feb. 13.
Delegate Robin Grammer said the Key Bridge collapse and ongoing rebuild present an opportunity to correct a longstanding problem in his district: eastbound traffic that does not cross the bridge is routed behind a toll gantry, sending industrial and commuter traffic through dense residential neighborhoods in Dundalk, near schools and community centers. "The consequence is that the communities of Dundalk are inundated with industrial, commuter, commercial, and residential traffic," Grammer testified.
Louis Campion of the Maryland Motor Truck Association told the committee the industry supports relocating the toll gantry so trucks and other vehicles that will not traverse the new bridge are not forced through residential streets. Campion said the gantry is currently positioned so that some drivers must pass it even when they are not going over the bridge, and that suspending toll collection for the movement after the collapse has temporarily moved traffic patterns.
Committee members asked technical and timing questions about the rebuild, including whether the contractor selection and federal funding (and related NEPA considerations) limit design changes. Grammer said the contractor (Kiewit) has been named but that final design details have not been provided to the sponsor; he said MdTA and the builder have discussed the problem but that legislative direction may be needed to secure a permanent fix.
The committee did not take a final vote on HB 679 on Feb. 13. Sponsors said they would request design documents from MdTA and continue to pursue options including toll gantry relocation or transfer of short roadway segments to county maintenance to reduce neighborhood impacts.
