Politics & Government
Drivers Worried Whether I-695 Bridge Over Joppa Road Is Sound
A retired state highway employee says the bridge needs work, but state officials say it is structurally sound.
The deteriorating condition of the Interstate 695 bridge over Joppa Road has caught the attention of the Maryland State Highway Administration, reports WBAL TV.
Drivers have noticed cracks in pillars, missing bolts and what looks like wood blocks propping up the bridge, the TV station says. For the past couple months, while traveling on the portion of Joppa Road that goes under the bridge on I-695, retired SHA employee Jim Hagerty noticed problems like deep cracks in the bridge pier columns, missing bolts, bearing pads that have rusted away and wood blocks acting as shims propping up the bridge.
But SHA bridge engineer Rod Thornton disagrees with Hagerty's assessment.
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"This bridge is structurally sound. There are no conditions that we are concerned with. We have a very aggressive inspection program. We inspect every bridge in the state on a two-year cycle," Thornton told the station.
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