Severn River Bridge

Last updated
Severn River Bridge
Coordinates 39°00′23″N76°30′13″W / 39.006389°N 76.503542°W / 39.006389; -76.503542
CarriesSeven lanes of US 50.svgUS 301.svgMD Route 2.svg US 50  / US 301  / MD 2
Crosses Severn River
Locale Annapolis, Maryland
Official namePearl Harbor Memorial Bridge
Other name(s)Severn River Bridge
Maintained by Maryland State Highway Administration
Characteristics
Clearance above 80 Feet Vertical, 134 Feet Horizontal [1]
History
Opened1953;69 years ago (1953) [2]
Statistics
Daily traffic 115,000 [2]
Location
Severn River Bridge

The Severn River Bridge, officially known as the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge, is a bridge that crosses the Severn River northwest of the city limits of Annapolis, Maryland. The bridge serves as part of the John Hanson Highway, which is signed as U.S. Route 50 (US 50) and U.S. Route 301 (US 301). Maryland Route 2 (MD 2) also traverses the bridge, but no MD 2 signs exist along the section of highway the route traverses. MD 2 separates from US 50/301 east of the bridge and becomes Governor Ritchie Highway, and to the west of the bridge it leaves the highway along Solomons Island Road. The bridge serves as the main connection between Annapolis and points east, including the Eastern Shore via the Chesapeake Bay Bridge; however, unlike the rest of US 50/301 in the area, the bridge lacks shoulders and is often a point of traffic congestion and numerous accidents.

History

The first road bridge across the Severn River was a drawbridge built in the late 1920s. [From Anne Arundel County site: In 1886, the long-awaited Severn River road bridge was built on the site of the present Rte 2 bridge. All of these were made of timber and have since been replaced with masonry bridges in slightly different positions.] Including railroad bridges, at least eighteen have been constructed over the Severn and its creeks. The bridge served as part of MD 2 and later US 50 after the later route was extended across the Chesapeake Bay. (This original bridge was replaced with the current Naval Academy Bridge in 1994.) When the John Hanson Highway was built, the current Severn River Bridge was built to carry it across the river. Originally, the bridge carried only four lanes, but was later expanded to six when the surrounding parts of the highway were upgraded, leaving the bridge with no shoulders and a high accident rate. [3] The Severn River Bridge was officially renamed the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge in December 2006 in honor of the 65th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The bridge was expanded to seven lanes, four eastbound and three westbound, from the fall 2017 to the spring of 2018. The expansion narrowed each of the lanes from 12 to 11 feet, and the shoulders from three feet to one foot. The renovation was completed after eight months of work and the improved layout was implemented in time for Memorial Day of 2018, helping to reduce congestion during peak eastbound travel times.

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Maryland Route 179 State highway in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, U.S., known for most of its length as St. Margarets Rd

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Maryland Route 436

Maryland Route 436 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Ridgely Avenue, the highway runs 1.14 miles (1.83 km) from Maryland Route 435 in Annapolis north to the end of state maintenance in Parole. MD 436 was constructed along part of MD 435 in the late 1920s. MD 436 was moved to its present course in two steps in the mid-1950s and mid-1970s.

The Broadneck Peninsula is an area in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. The area is north of the Severn River, South of the Magothy River and west of the Chesapeake Bay. At the lower end of the Broadneck Peninsula is the 4.3 mile Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

References

  1. "Chart 12282". Charts.noaa.gov. Retrieved 2016-05-19.
  2. 1 2 http://www.annapolis.gov/docs/default-source/planning-and-zoning-documents/2011-sha-us50-severn-river-bridge-study.pdf [ dead link ]
  3. "John Hanson Highway (US 50, US 301, and I-595)". Dcroads.net. Retrieved 2016-05-19.

Coordinates: 39°0′23″N76°30′12.75″W / 39.00639°N 76.5035417°W / 39.00639; -76.5035417