Maryland hopes to pick all new Key Bridge contractors by spring 2027
Baltimore County school buses barred from Warren Road Bridge over safety concerns
Maryland’s roads are deteriorating. Repair funding is not keeping up.
Maryland Infrastructure Briefing: Safety & Spending
1. Are Marylanders Safe on Roads and Bridges?
Yes, structurally, but deterioration is accelerating.
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Bridge Safety Ratings: In the 2025 National Bridge Inventory compiled by the Federal Highway Administration, 240 out of Maryland’s 5,500 bridges (4.4%) are classified in "poor" condition. A "poor" rating does not mean a bridge is about to collapse; it signals advanced deterioration (like deck cracking or steel corrosion) requiring immediate repair or weight restrictions to remain safe for traffic.
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Aging Inventory: According to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), over 50% of Maryland's bridges were built more than 50 years ago—past their original design lifecycle—which dropped the state’s overall bridge report card grade to a B-.
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Highest Risk Points: The busiest poor-rated bridge in the state carries over 127,000 vehicles a day on I-83 over Amtrak/CSX rails in Baltimore City.
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Pavement Quality: Approximately half of Maryland’s state roads are rated in mediocre or poor condition, driven by heavy commuter corridors and freight traffic.
2. Do We Have the Money to Fix It?
No—Maryland is facing a structural funding gap.
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Maintenance Deficit: The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) outlined a long-term roadway maintenance gap of roughly $1.17 billion, as identified needs ($5.9B) continue to outpace planned capital spending ($4.7B).
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Looming "Funding Cliff": Local county and city road maintenance relies heavily on Highway User Revenue (HUR) allocations. Temporary funding boosts are set to expire by fiscal 2028 under current law, dropping local road funding shares from 20% down to 15.6%.
3. If Taxes Are Higher, Where Is the Money Going?
Marylanders are paying higher vehicle titling taxes, registration fees, and fuel surcharges enacted during recent legislative sessions. However, revenues are falling short for three main structural reasons:
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Erosion of the Gas Tax: The motor fuel tax—traditionally the backbone of the Transportation Trust Fund (TTF)—is producing diminishing returns. As more Marylanders shift to electric vehicles and hybrid fuel-efficient cars, total gas tax collection trends downward despite rate hikes.
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Transit & Operating Cost Squeeze: Nearly two-thirds of MDOT's six-year operating spending is absorbed by mass transit subsidies (like MTA, WMATA, and MARC operations) and debt service on existing bonds before capital dollars reach road resurfacing or bridge repairs.
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Inflation in Construction Materials: Concrete, asphalt, structural steel, and labor costs have surged by over 30% since 2020. Even when tax collections increase in nominal dollar terms, the real purchasing power buys fewer miles of repaved asphalt or bridge retrofits.