historic context of maryland highway bridges built between 1948 ...

SECTIONSIXResults of Field Investigationsenvisioned in the 1938 Primary Bridge Program by the State Roads Commission. Its completionin 1957 was an important milestone in the nation‘s interstate highway system. The constructionof the tunnel‘s approach road, the Harbor Tunnel Thruway (now I 895), was an integral part ofthe Baltimore Harbor Tunnel project. Whitman, Requardt & Associates (WR&A) served as theconsulting bridge engineer in the design of the bridge which carried the Harbor Tunnel Thruwayover the tracks of the Baltimore & Ohio (B&O Railroad). The B&O placed several restrictionson the bridge‘s design, allowing only one pier skewed 45 degrees to fit between the existingtracks and a large sanitary trunk sewer in the 1,000 foot-long railroad track area. Based on theseand other considerations, WR&A chose a ―K‖ truss design, a highly unusual and complex designfor this bridge. Completed in 1957, the I 895 Bridge over the CSX tracks remains the onlyhighway bridge utilizing a ―K‖ truss design built in Maryland.National Register of Historic Places Eligibility:The I 895 Bridge (MIHP # B-4632, Bridge BC07800) over the CSX (formerly Baltimore &Ohio) Railroad tracks is National Register-eligible under Criterion A on the state level for itshistorical association with the construction of the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel, with the period ofsignificance of 1957. Completion of the tunnel was one of four major bridge/tunnel constructionprojects envisioned in the 1938 Primary Bridge Program by the State Roads Commission. Itscompletion in 1957 was an important milestone in the nation‘s interstate highway system. Theconstruction of the tunnel‘s approach road, the Harbor Tunnel Thruway (now I 895), was anintegral part of the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel project.The I 895 Bridge over the CSX tracks is not associated with an individual on the local, state, ornational level and is not National Register-eligible under Criterion B.The I 895 Bridge over the CSX tracks is National Register-eligible under Criterion C on the statelevel as the only highway bridge using a ―K‖ truss design built in Maryland, with a period ofsignificance of 1957. Whitman, Requardt & Associates (WR&A) served as the consulting bridgeengineer in the design of the bridge which carried the Harbor Tunnel Thruway over the tracks ofthe Baltimore & Ohio (B&O Railroad). The B&O placed several restrictions on the bridge‘sdesign, allowing only one pier skewed 45 degrees to fit between the existing tracks and a largesanitary trunk sewer in the 1,000 foot-long railroad track area. Based on these and otherconsiderations, WR&A chose the ―K‖ truss design, a highly unusual and complex design for thisbridge.National Register-eligibility under Criterion D was not investigated as a part of this study.\15-SEP-11\\ 7-7