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[[As of September 2007]], there has been much talk and public debate over either expanding the Thomas Johnson Bridge by adding a parallel span, or replacing the bridge with a four-lane bridge all together. The reasons for such proposals are two-fold. First, the recent increase in the amount of traffic of commuters traveling to and from the [[Naval Air Station Patuxent River|Patuxent River Naval Air Station]] in [[Lexington Park, Maryland|Lexington Park]] has made the the two-lane, single span bridge outdated for all intents and purposes. Traffic on the bridge during [[rush hour]] can cause back-ups all the way back to the [[Maryland Route 235|Route 235]] intersection, and instances where there is an accident on the bridge itself can cause total gridlock.{{fact|date=September 2007}}
→Problems: Added photo.
The Thomas Johnson Bridge itself can be categorized as both a beam bridge and an arch bridge. Massive concrete pilings hold the bridge up over the river.
[[Image:Thomas-Johnson-bridge-2.jpg|right|thumbnail|These braces were installed in 1988 to prevent the piers from failing. The highest piers have significantly more braces than shown here.]]
==Problems==
In the summer of 1988, cracks were found in the foundation of the Thomas Johnson Bridge, causing it to be closed for repairs over several months.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1263729.html
People wishing to travel north into [[Calvert County]] were forced to make a half-hour detour to the [[Benedict Bridge]]. People wishing to travel south into [[St. Mary's County, Maryland|St. Mary's County]] were likewise forced to either utilize the [[Benedict Bridge]] or take a free charter boat across the [[Patuxent River]] to a park and ride lot on the southern side.
Secondly, the fear of more structural issues of the Thomas Johnson Bridge arising (such as the one in 1988), coupled with the apparent over-capacity use of the bridge on a daily basis, has caused some safety concerns about the bridge's stability.<ref>{{cite web
|publisher=Baltimore Sun
}}</ref>
These fears have grown substantially in the wake of the [[I-35W Mississippi River Bridge]] collapse in [[Minneapolis]] on August 1, 2007.[[As of September 2007]], a study to determine whether the bridge should be expanded or replaced is being debated by [[Maryland]] governmental officials.{{fact|date=September 2007}}
==References==
