BALTIMORE — Action plans to clean up lead paint that’s been chipping off bridges, polluting local waterways, and possibly getting into homes have been submitted to the state and are currently under review by the Maryland Department of the Environment.
Last month, advocates with Blue Water Baltimore had identified three affected bridges. Now, according to MDE there are currently six.
Some, but not all, cleanup begins after state identifies bridges with crumbling lead paint
Baltimore City Bridges/Overpasses:
- Overpass at W. 28th Street
- Orleans Street overpass at Guilford Avenue
- Bridge over I83, exit 8, Hampden
SHA Bridges/Overpasses:
- SHA I-95 Overpass, intersection of Arbutus Ave and Potomac Ave, Halethorpe
- SHA I-95 Overpass at Park Entrance Rd
- SHA Bridge at I-695 and Putty Hill Avenue, Parkville
"We are reviewing response plans from the city and SHA and will work with them to be sure they are taking action both short-term and long-term. This includes identifying bridges and surrounding areas with peeling lead paint and chips, taking action to prevent more chips from falling and collecting fallen paint chips that can be a health hazard if ingested and can potentially pollute waterways."
According to SHA media relations manager Shanteé Felix, “crews are actively working on cleanup efforts” at I-95 over US 1.
But full lead abatement at all of its affected bridges isn’t anticipated to begin until 2027, when they will be repainted. Meanwhile, the Putty Hill Road overpass is expected to be replaced entirely by 2030.
Maryland SHA has also pointed out that an already scheduled cleaning and repainting of the Triple Bridges at the I-695/I-70 Interchange should be done by late Summer 2026. The agency repaints 20-30 bridges every year.
Meanwhile, in the city, DOT chief of communications Kathy Dominic reports their on-call contractor, Allied Contracting, has hired AtoZ Environmental to perform paint chip removal on its bridges, which will begin in approximately two weeks.
In Focus look at symptoms of lead exposure
But a certified contractor to collect and dispose of the debris that’s already fallen has yet to be hired, though Dominic reports it “remains a top priority for the agency.”
WMAR-2 News still observed some paint chips at the W. 28th Street bridge site on Monday, though they were not as obvious or as numerous as they were in early March.
“When you see the chips, the chips aren’t the thing. It’s the dust that’s there,” former home and licensed lead inspector Joe Elrod said. “Once it falls to the ground, you pick it up on your shoes, and tires of your car and stuff like that, and then you take it into your house, and then little kids crawl around, touch it, get it on their hands, ingest it, and you can’t see the lead particles that they’re ingesting.”
He notes that it’s not surprising that there is lead paint on the bridges, because its longevity makes it ideal for infrastructure projects. But, he says, efforts should be made to address the deterioration.
“Maryland’s a clean state, we’re supposed to do everything we can to protect our children,” Elrod said.
