Disuse, Dumping Contribute to Bryan Road Closure: Harford County

A committee dedicated to reviewing road closure proposals decided Thursday night to approve the permanent closure of Bryan Road in Havre de Grace, according to a statement from the Harford County Bureau of Highway Engineering.

The decision must still be reviewed and voted on by the Harford County Council, and a date for the vote has not yet been set, the statement said.

Bryan Road intersects Chapel Road west of Bulle Rock Parkway. According to Harford County Chief Engineer Jeff Stratmeyer, two homeowners live on Bryan Road, which also contains a bridge over Gasheys Creek and the Havre de Grace city pumping station.

The Harford County Bureau of Highway Engineering had this to say about Bryan Road:

"The road, once a vital link in the county's transportation system, quickly fell in importance when Chapel Road was constructed and bypassed Bryan Road in the 1950s and the orchard...went out of business.

"The bridge and road are in need of repair and the area has been plagued by dumping and 'partying.'

"To eliminate these problems, as well as reduce the long-range maintenance costs to the county, it was decided to remove the bridge structure and transfer the ownership of the road, after it is resurfaced, to the adjacent property owners on the west end and to the city of Havre de Grace on the east end. (The city of Havre de Grace maintains a sewage pumping station along that segment and requested the transfer.)

"Prior to being finalized, the closure request must be reviewed and voted on by the County Council."

Related: Should Bryan Road in Havre de Grace be Closed?