Pothole repairs in Maryland have increased 25% since the collapse and closure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge over a year ago. 

Truck drivers and trucking company owners say that the road conditions in Dundalk, Sparrows Point, and surrounding Maryland areas have deteriorated over the last year now that trucks are using alternate routes to reach their destinations. Public works officials in the area agree that the state and county cannot keep up with the road repairs, which have increased significantly since the closure. 

“I haven’t seen the roads this bad in a long while,” said Christopher Miskimon, owner of CKM Transport, a trucking firm in Sparrows Point, said to States Newsroom. “The roads used to be taken care of pretty decent, redone and kept up for the most part, but now it just seems it’s just getting worse and worse.”

Potholes repairs in the area have increased 25% since 2023, jumping up to 3,359 from 2,695 back in 2023, according to the Baltimore County Department of Public Works. 

Yasmin Peral, an employee of the Baltimore County Department of Public Works, says that the potholes “definitely got worse” since the bridge disaster. She also adds that the repairs that do get done do not last long with the amount of truck traffic passing over them. 

“Now they’re [the repairs are] lasting months, if that,” Peral said. “Try to be patient with us. We’re trying to get out there to fix things.”

Truckers and local police say that traffic has also been affected as much as road conditions. 

“We understand the trucks are trying to get to their destination via the quickest route, but that is not always the lawful route,” Cpl. Rachel Cassady of the Baltimore County Police Department said of recent issues with trucks attempting to follow GPs directions down narrow roads, sometimes causing property damage. 

“My message to truckers, motorists and residents would be patience,” Cassady said. “This is not going to fix itself overnight and will continue to be an issue until the Key Bridge rebuild is completed.”