2025 East Best Projects
Award of Merit, Highway/Bridge: Gov. Harry W. Nice/Sen. Thomas 'Mac' Middleton Bridge Replacement Project
Gov. Harry W. Nice/Sen. Thomas ‘Mac’ Middleton Bridge Replacement Project
Newburgh, Md.
Award of Merit
Submitted by Skanska Civil USA
Owner: Maryland Transportation Authority
Lead Design Firm, Civil/Structural Engineer: AECOM
Contractors: Skanska Civil USA, Corman, McLean Contracting JV
Designer: Wallace Montgomery
Geotechnical Engineer: Schnabel
Subcontractors: Bryant Ritter Hewitt; Century Engineering; Chaney Enterprises; Coastal Precast; Foundation Test Group; Interlock Steelworkers; KLS; Systra IBT; United Demolition
The $463-million project replaced an aging 1.9-mile Potomac River crossing with a new structure featuring long-span prestressed concrete girders on the approaches and steel plate girders over the navigation channel.
Doubling the crossing’s capacity from two to four lanes enhances regional mobility, emergency response and long-term operational performance.
Photo by SCM, courtesy Skanska Civil USA
Standardizing two pile types and three girder lengths enabled efficient precasting, extending the projected service life of key components by 25 years.
The owner took early, decisive action to de-risk the project’s foundation work by conducting a robust subsurface investigation that included river and land borings and an in-situ test pile program. This data informed design and construction planning, helping the team deliver the project under budget and allowing the bridge to open three months early.
Concrete debris from the demolished structure was repurposed to create new aquatic habitat in the Chesapeake Bay.
