Cycling advocates, Annapolis officials seek to extend bike path along Naval Academy Bridge

Annapolis officials and area bicycle advocates are pushing for the Maryland State Highway Administration to extend a proposed bike path on the Naval Academy Bridge.

Advocates want to extend the bike path — which has not been built yet — along the Route 450 intersection of King George Street from the end of the College Creek Bridge toward the beginning of the Naval Academy Bridge. The path would also extend from where Annapolis Street and Taylor Avenue intersect, ending at King George Street.

The boundaries of the project fall outside the jurisdiction of the City of Annapolis.

If the State Highway Administration extends the proposed bike path to include the Naval Academy Bridge it will connect to the B&A Trail, a 13-mile bike trail that follows the route of the historic B&A Railroad from Glen Burnie to Annapolis

“When you get in [from the B&A Trail], you get to the Annapolis side of that bridge, that shoulder ends, and you’re basically thrown into traffic. It’s very dangerous. It’s surprising that it hasn’t been dealt with by now,” Eric Leshinsky, chief comprehensive planner for the city, said in a May interview.

Leshinsky said the new path would close “a critical gap” in the county’s bike network.

In May, the Annapolis City Council asked the State Highway Administration to design a bike path that takes into consideration less experienced cyclists and extends to the Naval Academy Bridge.

“It’s really the missing link between downtown Annapolis and the B&A bike trail,” Leshinsky said.

Tanya Asman, bicycle pedestrian planner for Anne Arundel County, said closing this “small but important” gap would enable the county to ultimately connect bike and pedestrian trails to the South Shore Trail, which would go from Annapolis to Odenton.

The plan is to connect the Poplar Trail — which runs between Taylor Avenue and Admiral Drive in Annapolis — to where Solomons Island Road begins. This connection is still in the early stages, Asman said. The City of Annapolis will also need to complete a proposed extension of the Poplar Trail west to complete the connection that runs from Admiral Drive to where West Street meets Solomons Island Road.

The State Highway Administration has not settled on an official design; however, it is considering two options. The first would add bike lanes on the existing asphalt road. The other would create a path for cyclists and pedestrians with a barrier separating the two.

Current plans for the bike path place the cost between $4.5 and $5.2 million. If the State Highway Administration extends it to the bridge, the price would rise to approximately $8.5 million. The county would contribute 20% of the cost with the rest being paid for by the State Highway Administration.

The county is contributing $670,000 in fiscal 2025 toward planning the project. No significant funding will be coming from Annapolis.

The State Highway Administration still needs to develop the design of the path to a point where the administration can determine how much construction will cost, Gonzalez said, a process not expected to be completed until next year.

“The best way to make people feel safe … is to have them fully separated from the vehicles,” said Jon Korin, president of Bike AAA, a bicycle advocacy group.

One of the challenges of a path designed for cyclists and pedestrians is the cyclists will have to venture onto an asphalt road should they want to continue the journey, Luis Gonzalez, design project manager, said.

Paths on the bridge have to be usable by everyone — pedestrians, cyclists and motor vehicles. Currently, there is a bike lane and small sidewalk. Gonzalez said the bridge must maintain its service to motor vehicles.

“The main challenge is going to be trying to navigate those competing needs,” he said.

Currently, the State Highway Administration is analyzing the Naval Academy Bridge stormwater management system, according to Lt. Marissa A. Lemar, spokesperson for Naval Support Activity Annapolis. The agency needs to determine how the bridge will drain when major adjustments are made, such as extending the bike path, Gonzalez said.

The Navy Support Activity Annapolis will need to give final approval before building can begin, Lemar said.