WCBC

July 14th, 2014 by WCBC Radio

Allegany County is the site of the first bridge in the State of Maryland which utilizes two emerging technologies: Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil and Integrated Bridge System (GRS-IBS), a hybrid composite superstructure. A new, 2 lane,

The 27 foot long bridge is now under construction on Potomac Hollow Road over Moores Run, replacing an existing structurally deficient bridge.

The Allegany County Department of Public Works is administering this project. The bridge was designed by WBCM Construction Services, LLC, Baltimore, and now is under construction by Carl Belt, Inc. of Allegany County.

According to Adam Patterson, P.E., County Engineer, Allegany County Department of Public Works, an informational workshop to showcase the bridge during the construction phase will be held on Thursday, July 17, 2014 for engineers and other construction industry personnel. Interested individuals are to pre-register for this training session with the Maryland Transportation Technology Center by calling Carly Keane at 240-304-9627.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is an agency within the US Department of Transportation that supports state and local government projects involving roads, bridges, and highways.  Every fiscal year the FHWA provides funds to the State of Maryland. In turn as the administrator, the State allocates a specific amount of funds to Allegany County for bridge projects.

The total construction cost is $880,000. Allegany County received a $210,000 grant from FHWA’s Innovative Bridge Research and Deployment (IBRD) Funds. Additional funding for the project comes from the Federal bridge funding that Allegany County receives and the local share, 20%, necessary for the project match. The IBRD grant is approximately 20% of the annual Federal bridge allotment for Allegany County.