Letters: WC President Addresses Bridge Closing

The Honorable James T. Smith

Secretary of Transportation

7201 Corporate Center Drive

Hanover, Maryland 21076

Dear Secretary Smith:

As Interim President of Washington College, I would like to add my voice, and those of the 1450 students and 400 faculty and staff of Washington College, to the growing chorus of Kent and Queen Anne’s County residents who are imploring the State Highway Administration to explore and formulate an alternative to the announced plan to close the Chester River Bridge, 24-hours per day, seven days a week, for up to four weeks. Such an action would represent an unwarranted risk to public safety and an undue hardship to a community that enjoys precious few first-responder resources and continues to struggle to recover from the economic downturn that began in 2007-2008.

Like our neighbors, our primary concern is for public safety. Kent and Queen Anne’s County residents and businesses rely on a dedicated network of volunteer fire fighters and rescue squad personnel. Our campus relies principally on the men and women of the Chestertown Volunteer Fire Company and the Kent-Queen Anne’s County Rescue Squad. These individuals respond at all hours of the night and day to emergencies throughout the greater Chestertown community and beyond. We have over one thousand students in residence on our campus – many living in structures that are three or four stories tall. Without the quick response and appropriate fire suppression equipment of the CVFC, we fear for the safety of our students and staff. It is my understanding that a considerable component of the first responder corps of the CVFC reside on the Queen Anne’s County side of the Chester River Bridge. The 17-mile detour required of these responders to arrive at the firehouse, before they can depart with the needed apparatus, could lead to avoidable loss of life and property. We also have numerous faculty and staff who make their home in northern Queen Anne’s County. We fear for their well-being, as well as that of their families, if first-responders are delayed in arriving to offer aid or transport.

There are also economic considerations to an extended bridge closure for Washington College and other enterprises. We rely on student charges for more than 80% of our annual revenue. Any activity that would put at risk our ability to recruit students has a four-year impact on our financial health. A full-time closure of the Chester River Bridge for a four-week period would needlessly impact our ability to recruit students. We also have numerous events on campus, and the confusion and delay caused by a bridge closure and detour would have deleterious effects.

Although I was not in Chestertown at the time, I have come to understand that when the Chester River Bridge was repaired and reconstructed in 1988-1989, the bascule girders and the superstructure were removed and repaired off-site, and the State Highway Administration (SHA) installed temporary spans on the bridge to allow traffic to continue. Given the absolute centrality of this bridge crossing to the life-safety of our residents and the economic heartbeat of our region, I implore the SHA to give full consideration to a solution in keeping with the consideration extended during the last major reconstruction of the bridge. The 494 individuals who have signed the attached petitions join me in this request.

Respectfully yours,

Jack S. Griswold

Interim President