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Watershed group says Amtrak withholding bridge-clearance data; Coast Guard notice cited
Summary
Volunteers with the Gunpowder Bush Waterways Advocacy Group told the Joppa/Edgewood CAB they have been unable to obtain Amtrak survey findings on Gunpowder and Bush River bridge projects and urged coordination with the Coast Guard; the group announced a public awareness meeting June 3.
Sarah Kestner, a representative of the Gunpowder Bush Waterways Advocacy Group, told the Joppa/Edgewood Community Advisory Board on June 1 that volunteers formed in May 2025 to oversee the Gunpowder and Bush River watersheds are seeking more transparency from Amtrak about bridge work.
Kestner said the group is tracking Amtrak projects affecting Gunpowder and Bush River bridges and is focused on clearance, sediment management and preserving the existing (older) bridge structure. "Surveys have been incomplete at best," she said, and added that Amtrak has declined to disclose detailed findings while assuring the group it is following protocol. She urged coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard and pointed attendees to a public-notice portal the Coast Guard maintains for active bridge notices in District 5.
The group has posted a Google document to track project information and announced an awareness meeting at the Bush River Yacht Club on Wednesday, June 3 at 7 p.m. Kestner encouraged residents with waterfront or boating concerns to attend.
The advisory board did not record a response from Amtrak at the meeting; Kestner asked for help communicating with the Coast Guard and for broader community coordination on sediment and clearance concerns.
