POCOMOKE CITY, Md. - A fire at a railroad bridge over the Pocomoke River has left some boaters stuck while crews work to repair the system that opens the bridge for river traffic.
The bridge tender’s hut burst into flames Tuesday, damaging the electrical controls and other equipment used to operate the bridge. Since then, the bridge has remained closed over the water, preventing larger boats from passing through.
Cecil Jones, a boater who uses the river for work, said he first noticed the issue when he called dispatch to have the bridge opened.
“The bridge stays open and closes for the train and reopens for river traffic in the summer months,” Jones said. “I saw that it was closed. So I called the dispatcher, informed me of a fire and a control station for the bridge, a major fire.”
Jones said his boat is now trapped on one side of the bridge. He said he needs to get to the Chesapeake Bay and then the Potomac River to begin setting gear for blue catfish.
“I need to be able to transit to the Chesapeake Bay to go to the Potomac River so I can set my gears, start making a living,” Jones said. “And it’s my time of year right now to start.”
Contractors were on scene Friday working on repairs. Tristan Boling, a signal maintainer with Diamondback Signal, said crews are focused on repairing damage caused by the fire.
“We’re repairing basically any sort of fire damage that had happened Tuesday,” Boling said. “By the time I got here Tuesday, everything was completely charred black.”
Boling said crews are working on the power distribution side of the bridge, which he described as the first step toward getting the bridge operating again.
“They’re rewiring the power distribution side of things,” Boling said. “They’re repairing that side because a lot of that got damaged in the fire.”
Boling said there is no set timeline yet for when the bridge will reopen to boat traffic. He said temporary fixes are being considered while crews work toward a more permanent solution.
“A few of our next steps are going to be temporary fixes while we go for a long term solution of rebuilding a permanent structure, which could get a little complicated,” Boling said.
Jones said the uncertainty is the hardest part.
“The timeline part is the most damaging part to me mentally, not knowing when you’ll be able to go to work,” Jones said. “I’m trapped. I’m essentially just trapped behind a bridge.”
For now, boats that cannot fit underneath the bridge are not able to pass through that stretch of the Pocomoke River.
