(August 12, 2013) – Thanks to the cooperation and sacrifice from businesses, residents and work crews, today the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) reopened the MD 173 (Ft. Smallwood Road) Bridge over Stoney Creek in northeastern Anne Arundel County.  The opening came exactly on schedule following a five-week closure that was necessary to repair, clean and paint the 66-year old drawbridge.

“SHA thanks the thousands of business owners, residents and commuters in this area who have been incredibly patient during this project,” said SHA Administrator Melinda B. Peters.  “We know the past few weeks have been difficult, particularly for local businesses.  The good news is this work should extend the service life of the drawbridge another 20 years or more.”

Work on the double-leaf bascule drawbridge included repair and replacement of deteriorated metal and blast cleaning and painting of the movable structure and machine rooms.

While the scheduled drawbridge work has been completed, additional repairs remain to be completed.  Crews will replace expansion joints and seals in the bridge deck, the asphalt bridge approaches will be patched and paved, and sidewalks will be improved to facilitate wheelchair access across the bridge.  This work will be done under a single lane flagging operation during off-peak hours.

Crews will begin cleaning and painting the non-movable bridge spans this month and continue into the fall.  This work is underneath the bridge and will not impact vehicle traffic.

SHA awarded a $1.8 million contract for the cleaning, painting and repair work to Astron General Contracting of Jacksonville, North Carolina.  More than 18,000 vehicles cross the MD 173 Bridge over Stoney Creek each day.

As crews strive to keep work zones safe, each driver needs to actively modify his or her driving style to help prevent crashes. Stay alert – look for reduced speed limits, narrow driving lanes and highway workers. Slow down and don’t follow too closely. Safer Driving. Safer Work Zones. For everyone!

# # #
​