Hello,
I wanted to share this story with everyone who routinely drives over the Rt. 4 bridge to Solomons...
On Thanksgiving Day, my husband and I were driving northbound (toward Solomons) on the Thomas Johnson Memorial Bridge. Toward the top of the bridge, we heard a metallic 'clunk' under the car, and looked back to see what we had hit, but but did not see any debris on the road.
We made it to our destination, but discovered that the left rear tire of the car was almost completely flat. The AAA-affiliated mechanic who changed my tire said that there was a piece of metal in it that looked like one of the 'teeth' from one of the grates on the bridge. This was said before I told this man where my tire went flat.
Luckily, Toyota was able to repair my tire, and I did not need to completely replace it.
However, we drove back over the bridge the next day to scope out the area in question. Sure enough, on one of the metal grates, there are two metal prongs sticking up, and if a car were to hit it just right, a flat tire would result. The prongs are not something you would notice while cruising along, but they are very visible if you are looking for them.
I called 6 different divisons of the state highway administration yesterday and they assured me that the unit in Prince Frederick would "get right on it" and check it out. But of course, as of this morning, the prongs were still there.
I am not sure if anyone else has had flat tires as a result, but I wanted to share this with as many people as possible, so that they can avoid the inconvenience of a flat.
If you want to know how to avoid these metal 'spikes'...once you get toward the top crest of the bridge (northbound), hug the white shoulder line with your car, as the metal prongs are more toward the center (yellow) line.
Thank you!
I wanted to share this story with everyone who routinely drives over the Rt. 4 bridge to Solomons...
On Thanksgiving Day, my husband and I were driving northbound (toward Solomons) on the Thomas Johnson Memorial Bridge. Toward the top of the bridge, we heard a metallic 'clunk' under the car, and looked back to see what we had hit, but but did not see any debris on the road.
We made it to our destination, but discovered that the left rear tire of the car was almost completely flat. The AAA-affiliated mechanic who changed my tire said that there was a piece of metal in it that looked like one of the 'teeth' from one of the grates on the bridge. This was said before I told this man where my tire went flat.
Luckily, Toyota was able to repair my tire, and I did not need to completely replace it.
However, we drove back over the bridge the next day to scope out the area in question. Sure enough, on one of the metal grates, there are two metal prongs sticking up, and if a car were to hit it just right, a flat tire would result. The prongs are not something you would notice while cruising along, but they are very visible if you are looking for them.
I called 6 different divisons of the state highway administration yesterday and they assured me that the unit in Prince Frederick would "get right on it" and check it out. But of course, as of this morning, the prongs were still there.
I am not sure if anyone else has had flat tires as a result, but I wanted to share this with as many people as possible, so that they can avoid the inconvenience of a flat.
If you want to know how to avoid these metal 'spikes'...once you get toward the top crest of the bridge (northbound), hug the white shoulder line with your car, as the metal prongs are more toward the center (yellow) line.
Thank you!
I often thought about calling my insurance company and asking them if the bridges falls on my house, is it covered? 
well yeah I'll still drive over it, but man...the roads in southern md need some work.