Bob Ehrlich To Visit The Troubled Dover Bridge

Bob Ehrlich to Visit the Troubled Dover Bridge to Discuss the O’Malley Administration’s Lack of Progress Fixing It

ANNAPOLIS – Nothing lasts forever; the historic Dover Bridge has served Midshore Maryland for 78 years but has been due for replacement for decades. Former Governor Bob Ehrlich pledged approximately $40 million to build a new Dover Bridge in 2003, but Martin O’Malley has refused to okay construction; now time has run out.

Just weeks after 900 commuters were stranded on a stalled MARC train near Baltimore, residents in Talbot and Caroline counties were stranded on either side of the Choptank River as state route 331 was shut down for hours when the Bridge malfunctioned and refused to close. Direct access to the area’s major hospital as well as jobs and businesses was cut off as a result.

On Thursday July 15th Bob Ehrlich will visit the Dover Bridge to discuss its condition with residents and pledge his commitment to seeing it fixed as governor. The structure has been declared structurally obsolete for years and is a public safety hazard even when operating; its lanes are too narrow to meet current highway standards; its supports are crumbling.

Bob Ehrlich believes the citizens of the Mid Shore deserve a safe and fully functional bridge—not one plagued with constant problems that cause worry and stress to people who depend on it. He also believes residents deserve a prompt response from the O’Malley Administration about why it has not been fixed. Ehrlich will meet with area residents and discuss the urgent need for action from leaders in Annapolis.