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New page: The '''Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge''' (also referred to as the '''Thomas Johnson Bridge''' and the '''Solomons Bridge''') is a one and a half mile long bridge in Maryland over the l...
The '''Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge''' (also referred to as the '''Thomas Johnson Bridge''' and the '''Solomons Bridge''') is a one and a half mile long bridge in [[Maryland]] over the lower [[Patuxent River]] joining Calvert and St. Mary’s counties. The bridge, named for the first governor of [[Maryland]],
[[Thomas Johnson (governor)|Thomas Johnson]], was built in 1977, and officially opened in January 1978.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.mlis.state.md.us/2005rs/fnotes/bil_0002/sb0292.pdf
|title=Maryland General Assembly — 2005 Session — Senate Bill 292
|author=Nora C. McArdle
|publisher=Department of Legislative Services
|date=[[February 15]], [[2005]]
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.co.saint-marys.md.us/dpw/dpwtemplate.asp?content=roaddevelopmentcontent.asp
|title=Development of Our Roadways
|publisher=St. Mary's County, MD
}}</ref>
The bridge is one of two crossings of the [[Patuxent River]] in [[Southern Maryland]]. (The other is the [[Benedict Bridge]] approximately 20 miles up river, where [[Maryland Route 231]] connects [[Calvert County, Maryland|Calvert County]] and [[Charles County, Maryland|Charles County]].)
[[Maryland Route 4]] is the highway which crosses the [[Patuxent River|Patuxent]] at the Thomas Johnson Bridge. The north end of the bridge, on the Calvert side, is located in [[Solomons, Maryland|Solomons]]. Just prior to the bridge, [[Maryland Route 4|Route 2-4]] narrows from four lanes to two, and [[Maryland Route 2|Route 2]] exits off under the bridge and heads toward downtown [[Solomons, Maryland|Solomons]]. [[Maryland Route 4|Route 4]] continues onto the bridge itself and over the [[Patuxent River]].
==Description==
The bridge itself only has two lanes but rises to a height of approximately 135 tall, making a trip over the bridge in windy weather somewhat nerve-wreaking for wary travelers. On the other hand, the view from the top of the bridge is quite impressive, as one can see the entire town of [[Solomons, Maryland|Solomons]], the runways at the [[Naval Air Station Patuxent River|Patuxent River Naval Air Station]], and the [[Chesapeake Bay]]. After reaching its apex, the bridge heads down to [[St. Mary's County, Maryland|St. Mary's County]]. However, the bridge does not end once it reaches the banks of the [[Patuxent River]], but rather continues for approximately a quarter of a mile over the tributary of Town Creek until finally reaching land on the south side. [[Maryland Route 4|Route 4]] remains a two-lane road from that point on, intersecting with [[Maryland Route 235]] approximately three miles south, and then continuing on to [[Leonardtown, Maryland|Leonardtown]] for ten more miles.
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.
==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
|title=Johnson Bridge Closing Cuts Calvert, St. Mary's `Lifeline'
|date=[[June 21]], [[1988]]
|publisher=The Washington Post
|author=Eugene L. Meyer
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1264086.html
|title=Md. Bridge Structure Seen As Inadequate
|date=[[June 23]], [[1988]]
|publisher=The Washington Post
|author=John Lancaster
|coauthors=Robert Barnes
}}</ref>
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.
[[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}}
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
|url=http://www.topix.net/content/trb/2007/08/maryland-bridges-sound-officials-say
|title=Maryland bridges sound, officials say
|author=Michael Dresser
|date=[[August 2]], [[2007]]
|publisher=Baltimore Sun
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.topix.net/content/trb/2007/08/bay-bridge-8-others-to-be-reinspected-out-of-abundance-of-caution
|title=Bay Bridge, 8 others to be reinspected out of 'abundance of caution'
|author=Michael Dresser
|date=[[August 3]], [[2007]]
|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==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.webshots.com/search?query=Thomas+Johnson+Bridge06 Greg's Solomons Island, Maryland pictures from cityscapes photos on webshots] Aerial view of the bridge
*[http://members.virtualtourist.com/vt/s/?m=6&l.q=c42df VirtualTourist.com] More pictures
*[http://www.pride2.org/NewPrideSite/MD/Logs/Log9.html Pride II Log - November 1, 1999] Describes bridge and surroundings
{{Crossings navbox
|structure = Bridges
|place = [[Patuxent River]]
|bridge = Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge
|bridge signs = [[Image:MD Route 4.svg|20px]]
|upstream text = North
|upstream = [[Benedict Bridge]]
|upstream signs = [[Image:MD Route 231.svg|25px]]
|downstream text = South
|downstream = [[Chesapeake Bay]]
|downstream signs =
}}
{{coord missing|United States}}
[[Thomas Johnson (governor)|Thomas Johnson]], was built in 1977, and officially opened in January 1978.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.mlis.state.md.us/2005rs/fnotes/bil_0002/sb0292.pdf
|title=Maryland General Assembly — 2005 Session — Senate Bill 292
|author=Nora C. McArdle
|publisher=Department of Legislative Services
|date=[[February 15]], [[2005]]
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.co.saint-marys.md.us/dpw/dpwtemplate.asp?content=roaddevelopmentcontent.asp
|title=Development of Our Roadways
|publisher=St. Mary's County, MD
}}</ref>
The bridge is one of two crossings of the [[Patuxent River]] in [[Southern Maryland]]. (The other is the [[Benedict Bridge]] approximately 20 miles up river, where [[Maryland Route 231]] connects [[Calvert County, Maryland|Calvert County]] and [[Charles County, Maryland|Charles County]].)
[[Maryland Route 4]] is the highway which crosses the [[Patuxent River|Patuxent]] at the Thomas Johnson Bridge. The north end of the bridge, on the Calvert side, is located in [[Solomons, Maryland|Solomons]]. Just prior to the bridge, [[Maryland Route 4|Route 2-4]] narrows from four lanes to two, and [[Maryland Route 2|Route 2]] exits off under the bridge and heads toward downtown [[Solomons, Maryland|Solomons]]. [[Maryland Route 4|Route 4]] continues onto the bridge itself and over the [[Patuxent River]].
==Description==
The bridge itself only has two lanes but rises to a height of approximately 135 tall, making a trip over the bridge in windy weather somewhat nerve-wreaking for wary travelers. On the other hand, the view from the top of the bridge is quite impressive, as one can see the entire town of [[Solomons, Maryland|Solomons]], the runways at the [[Naval Air Station Patuxent River|Patuxent River Naval Air Station]], and the [[Chesapeake Bay]]. After reaching its apex, the bridge heads down to [[St. Mary's County, Maryland|St. Mary's County]]. However, the bridge does not end once it reaches the banks of the [[Patuxent River]], but rather continues for approximately a quarter of a mile over the tributary of Town Creek until finally reaching land on the south side. [[Maryland Route 4|Route 4]] remains a two-lane road from that point on, intersecting with [[Maryland Route 235]] approximately three miles south, and then continuing on to [[Leonardtown, Maryland|Leonardtown]] for ten more miles.
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.
==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
|title=Johnson Bridge Closing Cuts Calvert, St. Mary's `Lifeline'
|date=[[June 21]], [[1988]]
|publisher=The Washington Post
|author=Eugene L. Meyer
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1264086.html
|title=Md. Bridge Structure Seen As Inadequate
|date=[[June 23]], [[1988]]
|publisher=The Washington Post
|author=John Lancaster
|coauthors=Robert Barnes
}}</ref>
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.
[[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}}
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
|url=http://www.topix.net/content/trb/2007/08/maryland-bridges-sound-officials-say
|title=Maryland bridges sound, officials say
|author=Michael Dresser
|date=[[August 2]], [[2007]]
|publisher=Baltimore Sun
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.topix.net/content/trb/2007/08/bay-bridge-8-others-to-be-reinspected-out-of-abundance-of-caution
|title=Bay Bridge, 8 others to be reinspected out of 'abundance of caution'
|author=Michael Dresser
|date=[[August 3]], [[2007]]
|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==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.webshots.com/search?query=Thomas+Johnson+Bridge06 Greg's Solomons Island, Maryland pictures from cityscapes photos on webshots] Aerial view of the bridge
*[http://members.virtualtourist.com/vt/s/?m=6&l.q=c42df VirtualTourist.com] More pictures
*[http://www.pride2.org/NewPrideSite/MD/Logs/Log9.html Pride II Log - November 1, 1999] Describes bridge and surroundings
{{Crossings navbox
|structure = Bridges
|place = [[Patuxent River]]
|bridge = Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge
|bridge signs = [[Image:MD Route 4.svg|20px]]
|upstream text = North
|upstream = [[Benedict Bridge]]
|upstream signs = [[Image:MD Route 231.svg|25px]]
|downstream text = South
|downstream = [[Chesapeake Bay]]
|downstream signs =
}}
{{coord missing|United States}}
