延迟批准联邦贷款可能会迫使马里兰州修改其在建设已有超过一年的新波托马克河交叉口的资金策略。

A recent project briefing for the Maryland Transportation Authority’s (MDTA) board of directors noted that the U.S. Dept. of Transportation had yet to approve a $200- million TIFIA loan for the Nice/Middleton Bridge project, a new 1.9-mile four-lane tolled structure that will replace a 70-year-old, two-lane bridge connecting southern Maryland with King George County, Va. In recent years, the crossing has seen a sharp uptick in traffic as an alternative to the crowded Interstate 95 corridor through northern Virginia and metropolitan Washington, D.C.

Originally submitted for approval in mid-2019, the TIFIA loan was expected to fund nearly half of the design-build project’s $463-million cost. MDTA officials speculated that the holdup is due to safety concerns after plans for a barrier-separated dedicated lane for cyclists and pedestrians were dropped as a cost-cutting measure. Instead, the new bridge includes more than $2 million of safety enhancements for bicyclists, including bike-friendly roadway joints, lighting and signage.

如果MDTA为获得TIFIA贷款的努力证明没有成功，据报道，该机构将考虑其他融资替代方案，包括债券出售可能会抵消从消除专用的自行车/行人巷来抵消大量储蓄。关于如何进行的决定可能会在明年年初提出。

Meanwhile, a joint venture of Skanska, Corman Kokosing Construction Company and McLean Contracting Co. has been at work on the new bridge since mid-July 2020. Along with wider lanes, increased capacity and automatic tolling technology, the new structure will have a main span vertical clearance of 135 ft to allow passage of tall ships when it opens in 2023. Because Charles County, Md., rejected MDTA’s offer to take over the original bridge for use as a pedestrian/cyclist path, the structure will be demolished and its materials used to create an artificial fish reef.