Garrett County, with federal funding administered by the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (SHA), is proposing to replace Bridge No. G-0020 on Swallow Falls Road over the Youghiogheny River.
The bridge is located at the southeast corner of Swallow Falls State Park Youghiogheny Grove Natural Area and in the Youghiogheny Scenic and Wild River Corridor. The proposed bridge will include an aesthetic arch facade to provide a scenic backdrop for visitors to the Swallow Falls State Park, and the span length would allow the removal of the existing pier in the river and the abutments that constrict the riverbanks. Removing these obstructions would improve the character of the river by restoring the natural condition and enhancing recreation such as kayaking and fishing.
The net effect is intended to transform a longstanding choke point in the river into a picturesque feature worthy of the natural beauty of the area.
The existing bridge (constructed in 1960) was closed in 2013 due to severe corrosion, and the current 1-lane bridge was installed above the existing 2-lane bridge, as a temporary measure to reopen traffic quickly. The current bridge width restricts passage for some larger emergency vehicles and is not a viable permanent solution.
The abandoned bridge below continues to degrade and would need to be removed to ensure it doesn’t collapse into the river and to remove the existing foundations that constrict the river. A series of retaining walls are proposed to minimize grading impacts and reduce the existing roadway maintenance easement from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) by 0.05 acres. The abandoned roadbed would be reforested to mitigate for construction-related forest impacts.
The proposed bridge would have an overall length of approximately 132 feet. It would accommodate two (2) ten-foot-wide travel lanes, approaching the bridge from either direction, and two (2) four-foot-wide shoulders. The overall width of 28 feet would accommodate future reconstruction to avoid potential future road closure and/or realignment.
The current bridge does not accommodate part-width reconstruction, so the proposed bridge would be constructed offline with the centerline shifted 36 feet north of the existing bridge. This would avoid the need to close the road during construction which would result in detours ranging from 15 to 18 miles. The goal being to reduce impacts to emergency services response, dairy farmer operations, and access for park visitors since construction would primarily occur during the summer months when park visitation peaks.
The County would appreciate any input from residents and park visitors. Any comments can be sent to swallowfalls@garrettcountymd.gov.
