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MDTA Facility Dedications

Throughout its history, the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) has taken pride in dedicating its facilities or portions of agency-owned highways to honor individuals who have made significant contributions to the state of Maryland and to the MDTA.

Additionally, the MDTA recognizes the sacrifice of law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty and has installed roadway dedication signs as a reminder that we should all demonstrate a level of responsibility and respect to other motorists and to those who serve and work for the community.

This page is dedicated to those distinguished citizens in honor of their service and accomplishments.

Interactive Facility Dedications Map

Facility Dedications by Region

 

Click a tab below to view detailed descriptions of MDTA Facility Dedications grouped by region.

Northern Region

Army SP4 Ronald Anthony Spudis

Location: MD 155 over I-95 
Dedicated to: U.S. Army SP4 Ronald Anthony Spudis
Dedication date: January 2023
Requested by: Senator Bob Cassilly, District 34 with the support of District 34 Delegates Maryann Lisanti, Steve Johnson and Susan McComas

SP/4 Ronald Anthony Spudis was born and raised in Harford County, Maryland. He joined the Army after graduating from John Carroll High School in 1968 and was deployed to Vietnam. He was killed in action in Vietnam on December 11, 1971. For his heroism in action he was awarded the Silver Star for valor, Bronze Star, Air Medal, Purple Heart and the Vietnam Gallantry Cross. He is buried in Harford Memorial Gardens.

Marine Cpl. Jonathan D. Porto

Location: I-95/MD 22 Park & Ride Lot
Dedicated to: Marine Cpl. Jonathan D. Porto
Dedication date: April 2021
Requested by: Delegate Mary Ann Lisanti (District 34A) and Delegate Steve Johnson (District 34A)

Cpl. Jonathan Porto enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in March 2008. Driven by a passion and purpose to serve his Country, Cpl. Porto, or Jonny as he was better known, attended boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina where he was a Guide and Honor Grad. After graduating from Parris Island, Jonny attended Military Occupation School at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD.

Jonny was stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and was deployed with 1st Battalion 6th Marines in December 2009. On March 14, 2010, Jonny was killed in Afghanistan while on combat operations in Helmand Province.

Jonny loved his family, his friends, and his Corps. He received two meritorious promotions during his time in the Marine Corps and had planned to make a career out of his service.

Following her husband’s death, Rachel returned with their daughter Ariana to Aberdeen, where they currently reside.

Army Sgt. Alfred B. Hilton

Location: Eastbound and Westbound MD 22 at Exit 85
Dedicated to: U.S. Army Sergeant Alfred B. Hilton
Dedicated as: Alfred B. Hilton Memorial Bridge
Dedication date: October 2017
Requested by: Senator Robert G. Cassilly (District 34)

Sergeant Alfred B. Hilton was born in Harford County in 1842 and enlisted in the U.S. Army during the American Civil War when he was 21 years old. Sergeant Hilton was assigned to Company H, 4th Regiment U.S. Colored Troops. On September 29, 1864, Sergeant Hilton was a member of his unit’s Color Guard carrying the American flag into battle. When the regimental color bearer was wounded, Sergeant Hilton carried both flags until he was severely wounded. He was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously after succumbing to injuries sustained at the Battle of Chaffin’s Farm outside of Richmond, Virginia.

In an effort to draw attention to American Heroes, the MDTA dedicated the MD 22 Bridge over I-95 in Aberdeen to Civil War Veteran and Harford County’s only Medal of Honor recipient Sergeant Alfred B. Hilton.

Marine Corporal Dale A. Burger Jr.

Location: MD 222 over I-95
Dedicated to: U.S. Marine Corporal Dale A. Burger Jr.
Dedication Date: June 2017
Requested by: The Legion Family of Post 135

U.S. Marine Corporal Dale A. Burger Jr. grew up in Harford County and resided in Cecil County prior to his death on November 14, 2004, at age 21. Corporal Burger was two weeks away from completing his second tour of duty, when he was killed by enemy fire while in combat in Iraq.

According to the Baltimore Sun, Corporal Burger was a rifleman assigned to the 3rd Battalion of the 1st Marine Regiment, part of the 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force. He dropped out of Bel Air High School and joined the Marines at age 17, later earning his GED while in the service.

Corporal Burger was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for selflessly using his own body heat to raise the temperatures of his fellow Marines, an action that resulted in Corporal Burger requiring subsequent medical attention for hypothermia. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart.

Corporal Burger is buried in Arlington National Cemetery alongside his father Dale Burger Sr., a Marine who served in combat and was wounded during the Vietnam War.

The dedication was requested to remind motorists of the sacrifices made by Corporal Burger and his family.

Trooper Gary L. Wade

Location: Southbound I-95, south of MD 155
(Mile Marker 88.2)
Dedicated to: Maryland State Police Trooper Gary L. Wade
Dedication date: 2014
Requested by: Maryland State Police Detective Sergeant Shawn J. Ward

On January 30, 1982, Trooper Gary L. Wade had stopped a motorist on I-95 approximately one-quarter mile south of the Havre de Grace exit. While taking enforcement action for the observed traffic violation, another motorist drove off the roadway, striking both Trooper Wade’s vehicle and the vehicle of the motorist he had stopped. As a result of the collision, Trooper Wade was pronounced dead on the scene. Trooper Wade had served with the Maryland State Police for two years.

Trooper First Class John E. Sawa & Trooper Larry E. Small

Location: Northbound I-95, south of MD 155
(Mile Marker 87.7)
Dedicated to: Maryland State Police Trooper First Class
John E. Sawa
Maryland State Police Trooper
Larry E. Small
Dedication date: July 2014
Requested by: Maryland State Police Detective Sergeant Shawn J. Ward

On March 10, 1987, Trooper First Class John E. Sawa and Trooper Larry E. Small were parked in the median of I-95 at the Havre de Grace interchange. A tractor-trailer ran off the highway and struck the patrol vehicle occupied by Trooper First Class Sawa and Trooper Small. Both were killed as a result of the collision.

Trooper First Class Sawa had served with the MSP for five years and left behind his spouse and two children. Trooper Small had served the MSP for eight months and was being trained by Trooper First Class Sawa.

John F. Kennedy

Facility: The John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway (I-95)
Original Name: Northeastern Expressway
Ground Breaking: January 1962
Opened: November 1963
Dedicated: November 1964

Planning for the Northeastern Expressway, as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway was called originally, began in 1955. The turnpike was envisioned as 42 miles of four-lane, divided highway running from White Marsh Boulevard to the Maryland-Delaware line. Today, the 50-mile highway, designated Interstate 95 as part of the national interstate highway system, is a popular travel route for interstate and commuter traffic.

In November 1963, the 48-mile Northeastern Expressway and the adjoining 11-mile Delaware Turnpike were dedicated by President John F. Kennedy, Maryland Governor J. Millard Tawes and Delaware Governor Elbert N. Carvel.

The roadway was renamed the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway in 1964 to honor the fallen President who was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, eight days after the highway’s opening.

Millard E. Tydings

Facility: The Millard E. Tydings Memorial Bridge (I-95)
Original Name: Northeastern Expressway
Ground Breaking: January 1962
Opened: November 1963

The bridge is named for Millard E. Tydings (1890–1961), an American attorney, author, soldier,  and Representative and Senator who was born in Havre de Grace, Maryland. It was built between January 1962 and November 1963 as part of the Northeastern Expressway. It was dedicated by President John F. Kennedy along with the highway it carries on November 14, 1963,eight days before his assassination in Dallas, Texas.

Thomas J. Hatem

Facility: The Thomas J. Hatem Memorial Bridge (US 40)
Original Name: Susquehanna River Toll Bridge
Ground Breaking: February 1939
Opened: August 1940
Dedicated: 1986

The Susquehanna River Toll Bridge opened to traffic in August 1940. It is currently named for Thomas J. Hatem (1925-1985), whose long involvement in Harford County politics includes one term in the Maryland House of Delegates, a long stint as a county commissioner, service as state insurance commissioner and six years on the Public Service Commission.

Prior to the current bridge opening to traffic, crossing the Susquehanna River between Perryville and Havre de Grace occurred by use of ferries, railroad bridges, a two-way narrow bridge and one-way double-decker bridge.

When Mr. Hatem died in 1985 at the age of 59, the 46-year-old bridge was not named for an individual. His friends proposed naming the bridge as a tribute. The following year, the bridge was dedicated as the Thomas J. Hatem Memorial Bridge.

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Central Region

MDTA Police Corporal Courtney G. Brooks

Location: Northbound I-95, north of Caton Avenue
(Mile Marker 50.7)
Dedicated to: MDTA Police Corporal Courtney G. Brooks
Dedication date: April 2011
Requested by: MDTA Police

On Monday, December 31, 2007, while working a traffic initiative at the I-95/I-395 interchange, Corporal Courtney Brooks was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver. Corporal Brooks was transported to Maryland Shock Trauma Center where he succumbed to injuries shortly after midnight on New Year’s Day.

A 13-year veteran of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, Corporal Brooks served as a member of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Unit (CVSU). At the time he was struck, he was participating in homeland-security efforts to divert commercial vehicles away from Baltimore's Inner Harbor area during New Year's Eve festivities.

Corporal Brooks was posthumously promoted to Corporal by Chief Marcus Brown. Corporal Brooks left behind his fiancé and three children.

Cal Ripken Jr.

Location: Northbound I-395, south of Conway Street
Southbound I-395, north of Conway Street
Northbound I-95 ramp to northbound I-395
Southbound I-95 ramp to northbound I-395
Dedicated to: Cal Ripken Jr.
Dedicated as: Cal Ripken Way
Dedication date: May 30, 2008
Requested by: Congressman John P. Sarbanes (3rd District)

Baseball Hall of Famer and Golden Glove recipient Cal Ripken Jr. played for the Baltimore Orioles from 1981 to 2001. He is a 19-time All-Star and was twice named American League Most Valuable Player. On September 6, 1995, Ripken surpassed Lou Gehrig’s streak of 2,130 consecutive games that had stood for 56 years. The “Iron Man” holds the record at 2,632.

Cal Ripken’s commitment to working hard and playing by the rules became known as the “Ripken Way.” His dedication made him a national icon, inspiring the people of Baltimore and Americans nationwide.

On July 27, 2007, the US House of Representatives presented HR 3218, which called for formally naming a portion of I-395 from I-95 to Conway Street after the Iron Man.

Congressman Sarbanes stated, “This celebration of Cal is the fanfare for the common man. Going to work every day, come hell or high water, building a career, providing for a family like our fathers did before us is something that we can all relate to. If we pass this legislation, when travelers come to visit Baltimore or pass by on their way to another destination, they will not only be reminded of a terrific ballplayer whose name has become synonymous with the Orioles, but also a model American and the promise of doing things ‘The Ripken Way.’”

President George W. Bush signed the bill into law on September 28, 2007, and the formal re-dedication took place on May 30, 2008.

Francis Scott Key

Facility: The Francis Scott Key Bridge (I-695)
Ground Breaking: 1972
Opened: March 1977

The Francis Scott Key Bridge opened in March 1977 and is named for the author of the Star Spangled Banner. The bridge is the outermost of three toll crossings of Baltimore's Harbor. Upon completion, the bridge structure and its approaches became the final links in Interstate 695 (the Baltimore Beltway).

The Key Bridge is located in an area rich with American history. Scholars believe the span crosses within 100 yards of the site where Francis Scott Key witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry on the evening of Sept. 12, 1814. That battle inspired Key to write the words of the Star Spangled Banner.

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Southern Region

Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.

Location: The Intercounty Connector (ICC)/MD 200
Dedicated to: Former Maryland Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.
Dedication date: October 2017
Requested by: Maryland Governor Larry Hogan

The Intercounty Connector (ICC)/MD 200 was included in transportation planning efforts tracing back to the 1950s. Despite significant financial investment, planning and engineering work, the ICC project stalled. After his election in 2003, Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. made a direct request to President George W. Bush to secure the key federal funding for the project. He garnered bipartisan support between federal and local governments to gain key endorsements from the U.S. Department of Transportation and Montgomery County.

The MDTA took ownership of the ICC from the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) in 2011, creating the first all-electronic toll road in the state of Maryland and providing a vital 18-mile east-west link between US 1 in Prince George’s County and Interstate 270 in Montgomery County.

MDTA Police Corporal Duke G. Aaron III

Location: US 50/301
Dedicated to: MDTA Police Corporal Duke G. Aaron III
Dedication date: 2004
Requested by: MDTA Police

After issuing a motorist a citation for a traffic infraction, Corporal Aaron returned to his vehicle parked on the shoulder of US 50/301, near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. As Corporal Aaron was sitting in the patrol car filling out paperwork, his vehicle was struck from behind by a pick-up truck.

The driver of the pick-up truck had a suspended license at the time of the incident. He was charged with 12 counts and later pled guilty to vehicular manslaughter. He was sentenced to three years in prison and five years of supervised probation.

MDTA Police officials posthumously promoted the 10-year veteran and three-time Officer of the Year to the rank of Corporal. He left behind his wife and many family members and friends.

William Preston Lane Jr.

Facility: The William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial (Bay) Bridge (US 50/301)
Original Name: Chesapeake Bay Bridge
Ground Breaking: 1949 (two-lane span)
1969 (three-lane span)
Opened: 1952 (two-lane span)
1973 (three-lane span)
Dedicated: 1967

William Preston Lane Jr. (May 12, 1892 – February 7, 1967) served as the Attorney General of Maryland from 1931 to 1945 and the 52nd Governor of Maryland from 1947 to 1951. Major highway improvements, which had been deferred by World War II, were put in motion thanks to funds appropriated by the enactment in 1947 of Maryland's first state sales tax. Under the leadership of Governor William Preston Lane Jr., during the regular and extraordinary sessions of the 1947 General Assembly, the State Roads Commission was directed to proceed with building a Bay Bridge.

On November 9, 1967, the bridge was dedicated to Governor Lane, who had died earlier that year, and officially renamed the “William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge.”

As the world's largest continuous over-water steel structure when it opened in 1952, the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial (Bay) Bridge provides a structural link that did not exist in the days when colonial Marylanders traveled by boat, with the Chesapeake Bay as their highway.

Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial/Senator Thomas “Mac” Middleton

Governor Harry W. Nice

Governor Harry W. Nice

Thomas 'Mac' Middleton

Senator Thomas “Mac” Middleton

View on map

Facility: Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial/
Senator Thomas “Mac” Middleton Bridge
Previous Names: Potomac River Bridge (1938-1940)
The Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge (US 301) (1940-2018)
Ground Breaking: September 1938
Opened: December 1940
Dedicated: April 1968
October 1, 2018
New Bridge opened: 2022

The Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial/Senator Thomas “Mac” Middleton Bridge carries US 301 over the Potomac River between Maryland and Virginia. The original bridge was completed in 1940 and was the first crossing south of Washington, DC to provide a highway link between Maryland and Virginia. Before the bridge was built, travelers heading from eastern and southern Maryland to Richmond and Norfolk, and points further south, traveled through Washington, DC along US 1.

Originally called the Potomac River Bridge, the structure was renamed in April 1968 to honor Harry W. Nice (1877-1941), Maryland’s 50th governor under whose administration the original bridge was planned and built.

In 2018, Delegate Sally Jameson sponsored legislation that would rename the Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge to the Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial/Senator Thomas “Mac” Middleton Bridge as a tribute to Maryland Senator Middleton, who for about two decades had been the legislature’s most vocal champion of replacing the aging bridge with a wider span that meets modern standards of bridge design. This legislation, House Bill 4, became law on October 1, 2018.

A lifetime resident of Charles County, Senator Thomas “Mac” Middleton has been a public servant since 1976, when he entered the U.S. Army. He was a member of the Charles County Planning Commission from 1978-1985 and served in various roles in Charles County until 1995, when he became a Maryland Senator. Senator Middleton served his last term in office during 2018 as the Chair of the Senate Finance Committee.

Construction on a new bridge started in July 2020 was opened on October 12, 2022, providing the public with a wider, safer crossing over the Potomac. The new bridge will reduce congestion and improve safety and traffic operations for the thousands who rely on it for work, business and recreation.

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Public Calendar

Dec 15

DriveEzMD Team - Harford Holiday Event

9 AM

Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium
873 Lond Drive, Aberdeen, MD

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December 15
5pm – 8pm

Harford Holiday Event
Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium
873 Lond Drive, Aberdeen, MD

Dec 19

MDTA Board Meeting - December 19, 2024

9 AM

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Meeting Location Change: MDTA ETL Project Office, 8019 Corporate Drive, Suite F, Nottingham, MD 21236 - Large Conference Room

This public meeting is livestreamed and archived on the MDTA Board Meeting Homepage. The MDTA Board Meeting homepage also provides access to the meeting schedule, materials, agenda and minutes.

Meeting Location Change: MDTA ETL Project Office, 8019 Corporate Drive, Suite F, Nottingham, MD 21236 - Large Conference Room

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