The Babylon Road bridge in northwestern Carroll County will remain open to traffic despite the condition of the 63-year-old structure, which is described as “fair,” by county officials.
The Board of Carroll County Commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to keep the single-vehicle bridge open until it deteriorates to the point that it must be removed. The bridge will continue to be inspected every two years, with the truss inspected every year by licensed professional engineers.
“There is an existing bridge that is inspected regularly,” Commissioners President Ken Kiler, of District 2, said to county staff at the meeting. “The intention is to leave it open as long as that bridge is safe.”
County officials have been discussing replacing the Babylon Road bridge with a new structure for several years. County staff began design work for the proposed bridge replacement in 2016, and construction had been planned for fall 2019, with state grants largely paying for the work.
The current commissioners considered removing the bridge, which would result in the closure of Babylon Road. But residents who live near the bridge voiced concern at a public hearing in December that closing the road would make it difficult for them to travel to and from their houses. They wanted the bridge replaced with a newer and safer structure.
Previous traffic counts show that 80-some vehicles cross the bridge daily.
The bridge crosses over Silver Run, east of Taneytown. Without a bridge, a 1,200-foot section of Babylon Road would be closed off, making it a dead end.
County staff have told commissioners that design and construction costs to replace the bridge are increasing. A new bridge would impact more than 11,500 square feet of wetlands in the area and would need to be realigned to avoid flooding.
Commissioners decided at the December public hearing to delay making a decision.
At Thursday’s meeting, District 5 Commissioner Ed Rothstein questioned the expected life span of the bridge.
“We could have a heavy storm with lots of debris and it could take it away tomorrow,” Christopher Letnaunchyn, chief of the county’s Bureau of Engineering said. “We’ll continue monitoring. There are some maintenance things we can continue to do. Minor maintenance.”
If regular maintenance becomes too costly the county will consider removing the bridge.
“We’re going to continue to do minor maintenance on the structure to keep it open as long as we can,” Letnaunchyn said.
