I remember when there was only the Draw Bridge for Kent Narrows on Route 50 before they built the higher 6 lane bridge where boats could go under. Maryland State Highway Administration turned the 4 lane Kent Narrows Drawbridge into a 2 lane Drawbridge Route 18 / Main Street for the Locals I also remember when there was a Drawbridge on US Route 50 in Cambridge before the State Highway Administration built a higher 4 lane bridge and turned the Drawbridge into a fishing pier from each shore of the Choptank River & removed the Drawbridge spans so boats didn't require any Drawbridge to open Amazing Maryland State Highway has done so many improvements over the years to US Route 50 between i495 and Ocean City Maryland US 50 previously went through downtown Vienna and downtown Salsbury and had fewer lanes in Cambridge and Easton and East of US 301 there was many traffic lights on Kent Island and in Annapolis area along US 50 Being a Maryland local and going to Ocean City Maryland since the late 1960s when I was a kid I have always appreciated Maryland's State Highway Administration keeping up with so much traffic and so many improvements Even Costal Highway is maintained by the Maryland State Highway Administration I worked with them directly when looking at Traffic Studies plus widening Maryland Route 355 and Building a brand new Exit ramp #12 on i270 and various items after I moved to Kent Island Maryland
Good question but honestly there are always lots of fisherman on the bridge between the gates, so the bridge tender makes sure everyone is out of the way before the bridge is lifted. Also, the state would have to pay for two traffic guards for each end 24 hours a day.
Here in Florida (where I am from) it is illegal to enter or remain beyond a lowered drawbridge gate. Some drawbridges in Florida - especially the reconstructed drawbridges such as John’s Pass and Treasure Island Causeway, both in the St. Petersburg area - have separate pedestrian gates where you can observe the bridge being opened or closed up close yet from a safe distance. I am not sure what Maryland’s laws are when it comes to drawbridge operations. Keep in mind that the bridge tender has a duty and an obligation to ensure the moveable portion on the bridge is absolutely clear before the span locks are disengaged and the levers thrown to permit the span leaves to rise. Absolutely no bridge tender wants a nightmare of what happened on the Treasure Island Causeway in 1972 when several passengers in a car were trapped on the moveable portion of the bridge as it was rising up.
I remember when there was only the Draw Bridge for Kent Narrows on Route 50 before they built the higher 6 lane bridge where boats could go under. Maryland State Highway Administration turned the 4 lane Kent Narrows Drawbridge into a 2 lane Drawbridge Route 18 / Main Street for the Locals
I also remember when there was a Drawbridge on US Route 50 in Cambridge before the State Highway Administration built a higher 4 lane bridge and turned the Drawbridge into a fishing pier from each shore of the Choptank River & removed the Drawbridge spans so boats didn't require any Drawbridge to open
Amazing Maryland State Highway has done so many improvements over the years to US Route 50 between i495 and Ocean City Maryland
US 50 previously went through downtown Vienna and downtown Salsbury and had fewer lanes in Cambridge and Easton and East of US 301 there was many traffic lights on Kent Island and in Annapolis area along US 50
Being a Maryland local and going to Ocean City Maryland since the late 1960s when I was a kid I have always appreciated Maryland's State Highway Administration keeping up with so much traffic and so many improvements
Even Costal Highway is maintained by the Maryland State Highway Administration
I worked with them directly when looking at Traffic Studies plus widening Maryland Route 355 and Building a brand new Exit ramp #12 on i270 and various items after I moved to Kent Island Maryland
Awesome history! Thanks for the stories.
I'm surprised they let people beyond the gates
Good question but honestly there are always lots of fisherman on the bridge between the gates, so the bridge tender makes sure everyone is out of the way before the bridge is lifted. Also, the state would have to pay for two traffic guards for each end 24 hours a day.
Here in Florida (where I am from) it is illegal to enter or remain beyond a lowered drawbridge gate. Some drawbridges in Florida - especially the reconstructed drawbridges such as John’s Pass and Treasure Island Causeway, both in the St. Petersburg area - have separate pedestrian gates where you can observe the bridge being opened or closed up close yet from a safe distance. I am not sure what Maryland’s laws are when it comes to drawbridge operations.
Keep in mind that the bridge tender has a duty and an obligation to ensure the moveable portion on the bridge is absolutely clear before the span locks are disengaged and the levers thrown to permit the span leaves to rise. Absolutely no bridge tender wants a nightmare of what happened on the Treasure Island Causeway in 1972 when several passengers in a car were trapped on the moveable portion of the bridge as it was rising up.
@@EdwardRingwald I know I live in Tampa