The Baltimore City Department of Transportation (DOT) will make its third attempt to resurface the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge, also known as the Hanover Street Bridge, this weekend. Two previous attempts were postponed due to rain. The 0.4 mile bridge will be closed beginning on Friday, August 17th at 8pm and will reopen Monday, August 20th at 5am. DOT will also make structural improvements to the bridge this weekend.
DOT is recommending motorists use Russell Street/I-295 as an alternate route during the bridge closure.
Repairs to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge’s concrete deck took place in recent months to prep for the new asphalt surface that will be laid. The resurfacing project will cost approximately $400,000.
The new asphalt surface will be temporary as DOT is moving forward on a plan for a $50-million renovation of the 102-year-old bridge. This plan takes the deck of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge from a five-lane bridge to a four-lane bridge. The extra space is used to increase the sidewalks from 6 ft. in width to 8 ft. in width on one side and to 10 ft. in width on the other side. The plan also includes new 2 ft.-wide barriers separating the sidewalks from the driving lanes, and separating the middle two driving lanes.
This plan will also permanently close the drawbridge span. The steel grate grind deck would be filled with the new concrete surface.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge is still structurally sound according to yearly DOT inspections.
The complete project likely won’t begin for another four to five years as additional engineering and environmental studies are planned and funding sources need to be identified.
Deck conditions before repairs began
Rendering from the Hanover Street Corridor Study
