by Geoff Fox
A rumor has popped up in the Hancock and Berkeley Springs areas regarding the possibility of a new U.S. 522 bridge over the Potomac River.
Any truth to that rumor?
As Lee Corso is famous for saying on ESPN, “not so fast my friend!”
The Hancock News/Morgan Messenger reached out the to Maryland Department of Transportation to find out if there is indeed a new Potomac River bridge in the works.
As in the past, the answer was the same… no new bridge is being planned for U.S. 522.
“The State Highway Administration does not have a project planned at this time to replace the bridge,” said Charlie Gischlar, Deputy Director for the SHA.
According to the rumor, the state of Maryland had already purchased the land for the bridge and it would be a four-lane bridge with the existing bridge kept in use as two lanes of the four-lane bridge.
Gischlar said the SHA would continue to do regular repair, remedial maintenance, and inspection work to extend the service life of the bridge.
A 1936 flood washed out the bridge that connected Maryland and West Virginia, leaving a temporary bridge as the means to go between Hancock and Berkeley Springs.
Work on the current bridge began in 1938 and on October 7, 1939, the Hancock bridge was officially opened.
Over the 85-year lifespan of the bridge, there have been numerous accidents, potholes, inspections, and a deck replacement as traffic has left its mark on the structure.