Drivers crossing between Calvert and St. Mary’s counties should plan for slower trips over the Solomons Bridge next week, as state crews move in for three straight nights of maintenance work on the span.
What’s happening on the bridge
The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration will perform routine maintenance on the MD 4 bridge over the Patuxent River — officially the Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge — at the Calvert/St. Mary’s county line. Crews will close a single lane and run an overnight flagging operation, alternating traffic through the work zone rather than shutting the bridge down entirely.
When to expect delays
The work is scheduled for three consecutive nights, Tuesday through Thursday, August 4-6, running from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night. Because only one lane will be open during those hours, traffic will move in one direction at a time under flagger control, which typically means longer waits than a standard commute.
How to plan your commute
SHA is asking drivers to build in extra travel time if they need to cross the bridge overnight during the closure window, and to stay alert once inside the work zone. Variable message signs will be posted in the area to warn approaching traffic. The agency’s standard guidance for work zones applies: obey the posted speed limits, watch for crews and equipment at close range, and avoid distractions behind the wheel. No formal detour route was announced, since the flagging operation is designed to keep at least one lane moving in each direction rather than closing the bridge outright.
Why it matters for the region
The Solomons Bridge is one of the few direct crossings linking Calvert and St. Mary’s counties, making it a key commuter and commerce route for Southern Maryland. Overnight work windows are the SHA’s standard approach for bridge maintenance on high-traffic spans like this one, since they limit the impact on daytime commuters while still requiring drivers who travel at night — including shift workers, truckers and anyone heading to or from Solomons after dark — to adjust their plans.
Upcoming closure dates
- Tuesday, Aug. 4 — overnight lane closure, 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
- Wednesday, Aug. 5 — overnight lane closure, 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
- Thursday, Aug. 6 — overnight lane closure, 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
- Location: MD 4 Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge, Calvert/St. Mary’s county line
- More info: roads.maryland.gov
This report is based on an advisory from The BayNet. Only one source was available at publication time; readers planning overnight travel across the bridge should confirm current conditions with MDOT SHA before departing.
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