For The State Journal

GREEN SPRING — The toll bridge crossing the North Branch of the Potomac River from Green Spring, W.Va., to Oldtown, Md., has a shaky future.

Bridge owner John Teter of Oldtown recently filed for a rate increase with the Maryland Public Service Commission, which regulates rates. Teter wants to double the toll on the bridge, which currently costs 50 cents per vehicle or $14 for a monthly pass.

The bridge sits on nine acres in Maryland with a strip crossing into West Virginia.

Teter said the toll increase is necessary to pay for needed repairs to the bridge, and if the rate isn’t approved, he said he may have to shut the bridge down.

He’s also offering the bridge to anyone who would like to buy it for $66,000.

According to Teter, the Maryland Department of Transportation inspected the bridge and determined it needs repairs. Joel Bright of the PSC said the inspection report has not yet been completed.

“The case is being held open for receipt of that report,” Bright said.

The bridge was the topic of conversation at the Hampshire County Infrastructure Committee meeting Dec. 11.

Hampshire County Development Authority Executive Director Les Shoemaker opened a discussion regarding the toll bridge in Green Spring, saying he was concerned that the possible closure of the bridge will impact Koppers Co., a wood preservation facility that sits on 96 acres of land adjacent to the North Branch of the Potomac River near Green Spring.

Gary Klavuhn, bridge inspector with the West Virginia Department of Highways told the committee the bridge is definitely in the state of Maryland.

“Nobody at the government level has any fresh information on the bridge,” said Klavuhn.

“There have been no inspection reports in the last decade,” said Klavuhn.

The bridge is a major route for many of the employees at Koppers. The company’s 60 employees live in both West Virginia and Maryland, and many use the bridge daily to get to and from work.

Vance Haskins, Koppers manager, said the rate increase and the possibility of the bridge closing would have a huge negative effect on the company.

“We have vendors that deliver our items from Cumberland. Fed Ex and UPS deliver from there to our plant,” said Haskins.

In addition, Haskins said, many of the employees eat and shop in the Oldtown area.

“It will hurt us when we have to run to Cumberland to get supplies,” said Haskins, adding the bridge’s closure could also hamper response times from secondary emergency vehicles coming from Oldtown.

Teter said in an interview Dec. 5 he knew the bridge needed some work when he bought it.

“The previous owners told me it would take about $247,000 to fix the bridge when I purchased it in 2004,” said Teter. Teter said he asked for a rate increase then, and it was denied.

“I understand the public service commission works for the people, and the people don’t want to pay more,” Teter said. “I’m aggravated with it. It doesn’t make enough money for one person to live on.”

Bright said Teter reported a gross income of $99,350 in 2008 and $99,228.50 in 2007. Teter said those figures were correct.

In addition to the repair of the bridge, Teter said he has been quoted $40,000 for insurance, which he cannot afford. “Unless I can somehow get the money for the repair I may have to shut it down,” said Teter.

In the meantime, Teter said he met with Maryland State Sen. George Edwards, R-Allegany, who attended the town meeting.

“The senator thought something should be done to resolve the situation. He did say the state probably wouldn’t want to buy it,” Teter said.

He reported 237 cars, 172 trucks, four tractor-trailers, five motorcycles, 46 monthly customers and 104 return trips were logged crossing the bridge in 2007.

“We are very close to that number in 2008,” Teter said.

In the meantime, Teter said he has received inquiries from several people interested in purchasing the bridge.

A hearing to further discuss the rate increase has been postponed by Teter and the Maryland PSC until May 2010.