November 19th, 2025 by WCBC Radio

A petition with 1400 signatures was presented by Washington Street residents to the Cumberland Mayor and City Council demanding answers and results regarding the eight-year long closure of the Washington Street Bridge.  Laura McElhaney, Washington Street resident, asked how a city bridge could remain closed for so long…

“What I don’t understand—as someone who has been in federal, state, and local Regulatory Compliance for over 20 years—is how a street, damaged by a private company still is closed since 2017 and there has been no written plan to address it.  Nothing.”

The council said negotiations with CSX are continuous, but the City has AASHTO guidelines against them.  Mayor Ray Morriss added that they have reached out to the state but hit a wall…

“We asked the Maryland Department of Transportation to reach out to the Attorney General’s Office to see if they would take our case.  We were very politely told ‘no.’  So, the state is not willing to go to court with CSX.”