Virginia

Montgomery County Votes Against New Potomac River Bridge

The Montgomery County Council has voted unanimously to oppose a new Potomac River bridge crossing.

The council voted 9-0 for a resolution against the idea on Tuesday in Rockville.

The proposed project would include extending Route 28 in Virginia to the portion of the Intercounty County Connector that is in Montgomery County.

Council members cited costs and a lack of funding for opposing the bridge.

Leaders in Loudoun County previously said the idea warrants further study. A bridge was proposed between American Legion Memorial Bridge and Point of Rocks, which is more than 35 miles to the northwest.

News4's Adam Tuss got a bird's-eye view of the land from Chopper4. On the Loudoun County side, development is booming in the Ashburn and Dulles area. On the Montgomery County side, the land is still rural.

Montgomery County Council President Roger Berliner previously said he wanted to knock down the proposal.

"It is like a zombie that simply will not die. It needs to die, because it is so antithetical to everything in Montgomery County, for sure, but, I argue, for our region," he said. "All it does is promote more sprawl, environmental degradation. It would cross our agricultural reserve, which we will not allow to happen."

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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