Sometime as early as next March, you might find yourself re-routed through Crumpton if you are wanting to go south across the Chester River Bridge.
Dates for the Chester River Bridge closure—for up to a month—have not been officially determined as the State Highway Administration seeks more input from residents, merchants and first responders. A four week closure would critically effect how first responders living across the bridge would be able to reach their stations and for fire and rescue crews to respond to emergencies in the Kingstown area. It would also impact Chestertown businesses, commuters, and Washington College during its student recruitment period.
Bridge painting requires that the temperature be above 40 degrees, making late March a possible target date for the closure and repair.If, however, cold weather continues through March, the project could be delayed to April or May.
Any repairs would hve to be made while the bridge is in an “open” position.
The Mayor stated that the Town Council was not notified of the September SHA meeting with Kent County Commissioners and no one from the SHA offices contacted town government. A resolution or official complaint of concern is being drawn up by the town to be presented to the Maryland Secretary of Transportation.
In the following video, Mayor Cerino discusses the matter with council members. Additional voices off camera are Paul Hanley, owner of Blue Heron Café, and Joe Holt, Chief of Staff at Washington College.
Joe Lill says
Considering the inconvenience to everyone that uses Rte 213 , and the danger to the residents of Kingstown and beyond that would depend on the ambulance and fire support of Chestertown, couldn’t a creative solution be found to keep at least one lane of the bridge open for 16 hours a day and suffer the full closure of the bridge only at night if work crews could do their job with lights?
Ed Plaisance says
Sounds like what they do on the Bay Bridge…why couldn’t they do it on our bridge?….actually, I don’t see why they couldn’t do it with one lane open all the time…maybe create a temporary single center lane if absolutely necessary for work space on both sides…but it seems to me that they could do one side and then the other.
Ed
Patrick Byrne says
Why are they painting a bridge that needs to be repaired or replaced?
Bart Stolp says
Believe it or not :as SHA states: ” it will add another 25 years of life to the bridge”.
Wish I could find a cream to add 25 years to my life (:
Carol Mylander says
It is just a matter of time before the bridge is closed for good. Let’s get a grip on this with Queen Anne’s County (they have delayed it) and build a parkway and new bridge at the planned crossing of the Chester River. Personally, I cannot wait until the bridge is closed and the fast traffic on Route 213 isn’t endangering our lives here on Washington Avenue by passing in turn lanes and not stopping at intersections for school children and other pedestrians.
Gren Whitman says
I agree. The important issue overall isn’t closing the present decrepit bridge for a month, but how/when to build a new bridge and to create a by-pass around Chestertown to keep through-traffic off local streets. Truly a compelling issue for people on both sides of the Chester River!
Katherine Ess says
I have yet to see any of these complainers come up with a viable solution to the bridge closure. This is a drawbridge, and it needs to be able to open as needed. I have seen ridiculously silly arguments against the closure, such as “I am graduating from Washington College this spring and want my family to come to graduation.” As if closing one bridge into the county somehow isolates the entire county from any visitors? And I’ve seen an argument about how farmers will be inconvenienced. Sorry, but hardly any farmers use that bridge as it is, because it’s so narrow and rickety. They already use the Crumpton bridge!
I realize it will be an inconvenience to people….for a very short time period. And yes, a month is a short time period, in the grand scheme of things. So, suck it up and realize that this bridge needs all the help it can get at this point. It’s a temporary problem, not the end of the world.