Hatem Bridge Reopens After Tree Falls Across Road

After hours of closures, the Hatem Bridge reopened early Saturday morning, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority. Officials said they would provide gas to drivers in need; some motorists said they waited eight hours to drive over the structure that links Harford and Cecil counties via US 40 across the Susquehanna River.

As of 12:39 a.m. on Saturday, the Hatem Bridge was allowing vehicles to cross. It had first experienced issues causing it to close around 2:30 p.m. on Friday.

Early Saturday morning, the bridge was in full restriction, meaning sustained winds were more than 50 mph, and tractor-trailer box combinations less than 64,000 pounds were prohibited from crossing.

In full restriction, other vehicles — including cars, pickup trucks, commercial buses, heavy-laden tractor trailers and flatbed trailers — are supposed to be allowed to cross the bridge, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority's wind policies.

However, officials said that only passenger cars were granted passage at 1:15 a.m.; trucks and buses were not allowed because of the winds, transportation authorities said. Wind gusts were 52 mph and wind speeds were 38 mph on the Hatem Bridge, state transportation data showed as of 1:18 a.m.

Initially, the Hatem Bridge was closed from approximately 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. when a tree fell Friday on multiple lanes.

Less than an hour after crews had cleared the large tree from the road, high winds prompted officials to close the bridge again for high winds at 4:15 p.m.

Although the Maryland Transportation Authority reported that crews were preparing to reopen the bridge to alternating north and southbound traffic before 9:15 p.m.,that did not appear to happen.

After 10 p.m., officials said crews were clearing another tree from the road, which would reopen in alternating directions once the tree had been removed.

Anyone who needed assistance from the Maryland Transportation Authority Police for gas or water was instructed to call #77.

At that point, some drivers said they had been stranded, waiting for the bridge in northeastern Maryland to reopen, for six hours. One man suggested it would be nice to have food and water, in response to the offer from officials for gas.

At 12:31 a.m., officials said they were unable to open the bridge because of high winds; eight minutes later, authorities reported there were cars moving on the bridge.

Traffic cameras showed vehicles traveling along the Hatem Bridge after 1 a.m., while the Tydings Bridge remained closed.

On that structure, which bridges the Susquehanna River across Interstate 95, two tractor trailers crashed on either side of the bridge before noon.

At 2:30 a.m., lanes reopened on northbound I-95, while southbound remained closed, and at 3:17 a.m. the Tydings Bridge was flowing in both directions. It was only open to passenger vehicles. Tolls were waived at both bridges until traffic cleared.

See the latest lane closure information from state transportation officials.

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Still from CHART traffic camera.