Turnbridge at the Switch

To effectively conclude what I hope has been an informative series on the Choptank’s beloved turnbridge, I must first start back at the beginning of where the idea for this series started – a grant announcement.

As mentioned in previous installments, there has been extensive talks and finally an inkling of movement towards establishing a trail along the spur of the rail-banked corridor that the bridge is a part of. The Department of Natural Resources has taken the lead on this project, and they were kind enough to send me the following statement about the grant and its furthering of this trail possibility:

“Frederick Douglass Rail Trail is the working name of DNR’s efforts to develop recreation in the rail banked corridors in Caroline, Queen Anne, and Talbot Counties. The corridor has also been referred to as the Oxford Branch, Easton/Clayton Line, and Upper Chesapeake Rail Trail.

The corridor is composed of two components. A main line runs from Easton, through Tuckahoe State Park, travelling northeast to Marydel on the state line. The corridor continues in Delaware to Clayton. The corridor also includes a spur, which branches from the main line in Queen Anne and heads east to cross the Choptank River into Denton. The whole line has been rail-banked and is owned by MDOT (including the portion in Delaware). DNR has a lease with MDOT for potential recreation along the corridor (main line and spur) for the portions lying in Maryland.

The trail has already been developed along three stretches of the corridor. DNR repaired and restored the trestle on the main line over Tuckahoe Creek within Tuckahoe State Park and added it to the park’s trail system. DNR also has sub-leases with the Towns of Easton and Ridgely where they have developed trail within the corridor inside town limits.

DNR recently received grant funding to conduct an engineering review and feasibility study on the crossing over the Choptank along the corridor spur by Denton. Due to its age, the bridge structure could become a liability to the state. The feasibility study will determine the structure’s suitability to support trail-sized loads and what components would need to be repaired/replaced for this purpose. A key element of the study is developing alternatives to cross the navigable channel of the river, which requires 25-foot clearance (the rail bridge has a moveable swing-span, currently locked open). The completed study will inform further discussions by MDOT and DNR regarding stabilizing the bridge and potentially providing pedestrian access and related recreation across the Choptank.”

So, is a trail with a walkable (or bike-ride-able) bridge incorporating the original turnbridge a certainty? Not exactly. But it is a real possibility. So I had a conversation with someone I consider an expert on outdoor public recreation, funding mechanisms, utilization of existing resources, bridging gaps between the perspectives of various subsections of our community, and radical optimism – Sue Simmons.

In addition to her 50 million other hats, Simmons is part of the board of the Maryland Eastern Shore Trails Network, a newly formed group that advocates for trails that sometimes use these state-owned, rail-banked corridors as trail opportnities. “We are a group of citizen advocates and local policymakers and cyclists and walkers,” she said, “we're trying to come together.” The board formed just over two years ago, but they have been steadily improving upon a more organized lobbying strategy for trails on the Shore.

Simmons argues that while trails do provide much needed publicly accessible outdoor space for exercise and leisure, they can also play a vital role in safely connecting us with necessary points. “We in rural areas do have a love affair with our cars,” she said. But do we always have to get from point A to point B the fastest, most efficient way possible? Isn’t the Eastern Shore’s whole schtick that we take the slow lane? Wouldn’t it be nice if instead of sharing the roadways (that often lack sidewalks and shoulders) with these cars to get to places like parks, grocery stores, and community centers, we had dedicated trails to ensure the safety of pedestrians? Probably!

She also mentioned that trails are becoming more popular for both local use and as tourist destinations for avid trail-ers, but the work to convince policymakers and other community members alike that the cost is justified remains. “Nothing gets done if there isn't a momentum and voices that are advocating and reminding,” she said, “And we have lessons to learn. I can tell you, in the 40 years that I've been in the public recreation field, what I have seen over, say, in Anne Arundel County, there's more humans, there's more resources available, but they've also created some trail pathways that are really meaningful connectors for their citizens, and we on the Eastern Shore deserve that too.”

Simmons acknowledged that not everyone will be on board, and that’s okay. Everyone has their personal perspectives on what is important or what is a good use of land and resources. It is also something that will take years, probably a lot of them, to get accomplished. But with the momentum that is already building, I’m confident that turnbridge will again serve its purpose of connecting people and places, it just may look a little different than before. At any rate, anything is better than allowing a failing structure to continue slowly disintegrating into our favorite waterway, posing threats to both boats and people.

Thank you for taking this journey through time, space, and complicated railway bureaucracy with me via Turnbridge at the Switch. I have very much enjoyed hearing everyone’s thoughts as the series has developed, and I hope to continue keeping the community informed if/when this train starts rolling again!