Judge gives go-ahead for Maryland to demolish old Nice-Middleton Bridge

A coalition of cycling groups has fallen short in their efforts to block the state from dismantling the old Nice-Middleton Bridge in Charles County. A federal judge in Baltimore said late Tuesday that the organizations failed to meet the high legal threshold for blocking demolition, which lawyers for the state said will begin later this week. Gov. Larry Hogan (R) and other dignitaries are scheduled to open the new span Wednesday morning. During a three-hour court hearing, the lawyer hired by the cycling coalition said leaving the original Nice-Middleton Bridge in place would preserve the opportunity to use it for recreation. When Hogan announced plans to replace the 1940s-era bridge, he pledged to include a dedicated bike/pedestrian lane on the new span. Those plans were later dropped in a cost-cutting move.