HARFORD COUNTY, Md. — Dozens of people attended a public meeting in Joppatowne focused on Amtrak's plans to replace the aging Gunpowder River and Bush River bridges, both of which are more than 100 years old.
Amtrak addresses concerns over Gunpowder River and Bush River bridge plans
Initial plans raised some eyebrows, so Amtrak held their first public meeting to address these concerns.
"We heard you. Our job is to be here, be transparent and be accessible," said Denise Miller of Amtrak.
Miller said the projects are still in the earliest stages of development and that it could be another decade before the projects reach their final design phase.
"We have a long way to go," Miller said. "It's time, it's essential and we want to see it move forward."
The clearance of the bridge was the biggest concern amongst neighbors.
When WMAR-2 News first reported on the projects in June, many boaters worried the increase would not adequately address already existing navigation issues.
At Tuesday's meeting, neighbors were told that discussions about bridge clearance are still ongoing and are not set in stone.
"We're not the only one," she said. "We have a lot of stakeholders, primarily the U.S. Coast Guard, that is part of the decision-making."
Community advocates feel that reassurance helped ease some concerns, but say additional issues remain on the table.
"We also have to look at the broader scope," said Sarah Kestner of the Gunpowder Bush Waterways Advocacy Group. "What are our environmental considerations currently? Both Bush and Gunpowder have silting issues, and we have mitigation concerns. We want to make sure everything gets the attention it deserves."
Neighbors say they want a chance to bring their concerns to the Coast Guard as well.
The next public meeting won't be until Amtrak has more answers, in the meantime you can submit feedback by emailing BGRBProject@amtrak.com
