Hanover St Corridor Revitalization

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About

The Revitalize Hanover Street Corridor Project is an effort to improve a 2.4-mile stretch of Hanover Street and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge in South Baltimore, extending from I-95 to the Belle Grove Road at the Baltimore City-Anne Arundel County line. This area spans a diverse range of communities along the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River and South Baltimore, and will benefit from corridor-wide enhancements, that will increase mobility and safety for all users. The current phase of the project includes planning and preliminary design and is expected to take approximately four years to complete.

This effort will build upon prior studies and proposals that advance a 21st-century vision befitting South Baltimore neighborhoods that have borne the brunt of heavy through traffic for years. This plan will help to reduce travel speeds while preserving traffic flows; integrate design elements that better accommodate pedestrians, bicycles, micromobility vehicles, and transit vehicles; and ultimately improve mobility and access to jobs, health care, recreational areas, and other key destinations for residents of communities in the project area. 

Source: Revitalize Hanover Street RAISE Application, 2024

Project Funding

The U.S. Department of Transportation in June 2024 awarded $15.5 million to the City of Baltimore through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant Program. This discretionary grant initiative aims to significantly improve local or regional transportation infrastructure projects, and is part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The City of Baltimore executed its grant agreement for this funding with USDOT in January 2025.

Project Goals

The grant will support various improvements to the Hanover Street corridor, including:

  • Complete Streets enhancements: These improvements will provide residents with better access and connectivity to transit, employment, education, recreation, and transportation alternatives.
  • Freight accessibility: Enhancements to improve economic competitiveness in South Baltimore.
  • Planning efforts for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge: Analysis to determine whether rehabilitation or replacement of this historic bridge is necessary is a key aspect of the project.

Specifically, the scope for this funding includes:

  • Engineering survey and subsurface utility engineering;
  • All activities to complete the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental review process;
  • Develop design options and preliminary engineering for structures and civil/roadway facilities;
  • Conduct required supplemental studies, including historic resources and maritime navigation;
  • Develop a financial plan and workforce development plan for implementation;
  • Continue community engagement building upon prior efforts, potentially including:
    • Convening a Project Steering Committee of key City, State, and Federal agency representatives, institutional and private property owners, major community coalitions, and industry groups
    • Convening a Community Advisory Committee to provide input and advise on wider community engagement
    • Holding public information sessions and “idea charrettes”
    • Project website and social media content
    • Participating in and presenting to Community Association meetings of all affected communities within the study area and a wider radius affected by the Project; and
  • Complete 30 percent design plans.

Completion of this planning project will position the Hanover Street Corridor for construction.

Source: Hanover Street Corridor Study Final Report, 2019

Affected Communities

The Hanover Street Corridor, a regionally significant stretch between Interstate 95 and the Baltimore City line with Anne Arundel County, is the southern gateway into Baltimore. Residents of South Baltimore neighborhoods like Cherry Hill and Curtis Bay rely on this corridor for connection to the rest of the city.

The project will primarily benefit South Baltimore, including environmental justice communities isolated for generations due to transportation and industrial land use limitations. Port-related businesses critical to the regional economy will also see improved connectivity and economic opportunities. The transformation of the Hanover Street corridor into a multimodal connection to the city’s center will enhance access to transportation options and economic opportunities while improving safety and quality of life for South Baltimore residents.

Future Developments and Related Projects

The project includes planning for walking and biking paths along the Hanover-Potee Street Corridor, which contains a crucial link in the Baltimore Greenway Trails Network. This 70-pus mile multi-use trail network will connect South Baltimore's Middle Branch trails to the overall Baltimore Greenway Trails Network, offering new access to essential infrastructure.

Other key projects and partnerships that will inform and be advanced by the Project are:

  • Reconfiguration of the I-95/Hanover Street interchange, led by Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) with Baltimore Peninsula developers MAG Partners/MacFarlane Partners and capital partners Sagamore Ventures/Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group.
  • Traffic calming and multi-modal accommodation between McComas Street and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge, including improvements to CSX-rail crossing bridge and tie-ins for smaller-scale blocks, slow streets, and shared-use paths.
  • Equity investments being made as part of Baltimore Peninsula’s equity commitments, including a historic Community Benefits Agreement pledging $130M to the City and six neighborhoods surrounding Baltimore Peninsula
  • Equity-based projects being led by South Baltimore Gateway Partnership (SBGP), which administers 50% of Casino Local Impact Fund (CLIF) revenues and works with the City to carry out community improvements in Middle Branch communities
  • The Middle Branch Resiliency Initiative, an ecological sustainability partnership between SBGP, the City’s Department of Public Works, Department of Recreation and Parks, and Office of Sustainability.
  • The establishment of new mixed-income housing and business development that will provide jobs and build upon underutilized land, being led by Cherry Hill Development Corporation, Cherry Hill Strong, Baltimore’s Housing Authority and School System, MedStar Harbor Hospital, Enterprise, and others.
  • The Baybrook Connector, a pedestrian path and bike trail project that will safely connects residents of South Baltimore and northern Anne Arundel County neighborhoods to the Middle Branch; this effort is being led by Greater Baybrook Alliance, representing Brooklyn and Curtis Bay in Baltimore City and Brooklyn Park in Anne Arundel County.
  • Maryland Port Administration/DOT-led infrastructure projects, including the reconstruction of the Key bridge and the federal grant-funded redesign of the I-895 toll plaza and surrounding interchanges.

Impacts to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial/Hanover Street Bridge

This bridge built in 1916, known also as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge, is a 0.5-mile, cast concrete and movable-span, historic structure crossing the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River between the South Baltimore Peninsula and the Cherry Hill neighborhood. Recent inspection reports have concluded that the bridge is in poor condition. The current roadway design on and leading to the bridge is inhospitable to residents of disadvantaged communities to the south in accessing economic and employment opportunities to the north, due to narrow and inadequate pedestrian and bicycle facilities and a lack of transit accommodations.

One of the key decisions that will need to be addressed during environmental review is whether it is better to rehabilitate or replace the bridge. Were it to be reconstructed, it would open opportunities to re-design the approaches and nearby street grid on both ends of the bridge to enhance intra-neighborhood circulation and access to amenities beyond South Baltimore residents’ home neighborhoods.

Prior Studies

Portions of the corridor have been subjects of concept design at varying levels through multiple planning initiatives. These include the City’s adopted Reimagine Middle Branch Plan (2023), the Cherry Hill Transformation Plan (2020), Hanover Street Corridor Study (2018), the Greater Baybrook Vision and Action Plan (2016), and the Port Covington Master Plan (2016). The Baybrook Connector initiative (2022-23) and other recent community-supported efforts promote improved mobility by introducing multi-use trails and Main Street improvements that follow or intersect the corridor.

The Project’s design activities will evaluate these ideas with the goal of incorporating pre-existing community priorities into one coherent, integrated vision for the corridor.

Follow Project

To receive email newsletter updates and information about public engagement activities related to the Revitalize Hanover Street Project, please click the “Follow Project” link in the right column of this webpage and provide your email address.

About

The Revitalize Hanover Street Corridor Project is an effort to improve a 2.4-mile stretch of Hanover Street and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge in South Baltimore, extending from I-95 to the Belle Grove Road at the Baltimore City-Anne Arundel County line. This area spans a diverse range of communities along the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River and South Baltimore, and will benefit from corridor-wide enhancements, that will increase mobility and safety for all users. The current phase of the project includes planning and preliminary design and is expected to take approximately four years to complete.

This effort will build upon prior studies and proposals that advance a 21st-century vision befitting South Baltimore neighborhoods that have borne the brunt of heavy through traffic for years. This plan will help to reduce travel speeds while preserving traffic flows; integrate design elements that better accommodate pedestrians, bicycles, micromobility vehicles, and transit vehicles; and ultimately improve mobility and access to jobs, health care, recreational areas, and other key destinations for residents of communities in the project area. 

Source: Revitalize Hanover Street RAISE Application, 2024

Project Funding

The U.S. Department of Transportation in June 2024 awarded $15.5 million to the City of Baltimore through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant Program. This discretionary grant initiative aims to significantly improve local or regional transportation infrastructure projects, and is part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The City of Baltimore executed its grant agreement for this funding with USDOT in January 2025.

Project Goals

The grant will support various improvements to the Hanover Street corridor, including:

  • Complete Streets enhancements: These improvements will provide residents with better access and connectivity to transit, employment, education, recreation, and transportation alternatives.
  • Freight accessibility: Enhancements to improve economic competitiveness in South Baltimore.
  • Planning efforts for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge: Analysis to determine whether rehabilitation or replacement of this historic bridge is necessary is a key aspect of the project.

Specifically, the scope for this funding includes:

  • Engineering survey and subsurface utility engineering;
  • All activities to complete the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental review process;
  • Develop design options and preliminary engineering for structures and civil/roadway facilities;
  • Conduct required supplemental studies, including historic resources and maritime navigation;
  • Develop a financial plan and workforce development plan for implementation;
  • Continue community engagement building upon prior efforts, potentially including:
    • Convening a Project Steering Committee of key City, State, and Federal agency representatives, institutional and private property owners, major community coalitions, and industry groups
    • Convening a Community Advisory Committee to provide input and advise on wider community engagement
    • Holding public information sessions and “idea charrettes”
    • Project website and social media content
    • Participating in and presenting to Community Association meetings of all affected communities within the study area and a wider radius affected by the Project; and
  • Complete 30 percent design plans.

Completion of this planning project will position the Hanover Street Corridor for construction.

Source: Hanover Street Corridor Study Final Report, 2019

Affected Communities

The Hanover Street Corridor, a regionally significant stretch between Interstate 95 and the Baltimore City line with Anne Arundel County, is the southern gateway into Baltimore. Residents of South Baltimore neighborhoods like Cherry Hill and Curtis Bay rely on this corridor for connection to the rest of the city.

The project will primarily benefit South Baltimore, including environmental justice communities isolated for generations due to transportation and industrial land use limitations. Port-related businesses critical to the regional economy will also see improved connectivity and economic opportunities. The transformation of the Hanover Street corridor into a multimodal connection to the city’s center will enhance access to transportation options and economic opportunities while improving safety and quality of life for South Baltimore residents.

Future Developments and Related Projects

The project includes planning for walking and biking paths along the Hanover-Potee Street Corridor, which contains a crucial link in the Baltimore Greenway Trails Network. This 70-pus mile multi-use trail network will connect South Baltimore's Middle Branch trails to the overall Baltimore Greenway Trails Network, offering new access to essential infrastructure.

Other key projects and partnerships that will inform and be advanced by the Project are:

  • Reconfiguration of the I-95/Hanover Street interchange, led by Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) with Baltimore Peninsula developers MAG Partners/MacFarlane Partners and capital partners Sagamore Ventures/Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group.
  • Traffic calming and multi-modal accommodation between McComas Street and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge, including improvements to CSX-rail crossing bridge and tie-ins for smaller-scale blocks, slow streets, and shared-use paths.
  • Equity investments being made as part of Baltimore Peninsula’s equity commitments, including a historic Community Benefits Agreement pledging $130M to the City and six neighborhoods surrounding Baltimore Peninsula
  • Equity-based projects being led by South Baltimore Gateway Partnership (SBGP), which administers 50% of Casino Local Impact Fund (CLIF) revenues and works with the City to carry out community improvements in Middle Branch communities
  • The Middle Branch Resiliency Initiative, an ecological sustainability partnership between SBGP, the City’s Department of Public Works, Department of Recreation and Parks, and Office of Sustainability.
  • The establishment of new mixed-income housing and business development that will provide jobs and build upon underutilized land, being led by Cherry Hill Development Corporation, Cherry Hill Strong, Baltimore’s Housing Authority and School System, MedStar Harbor Hospital, Enterprise, and others.
  • The Baybrook Connector, a pedestrian path and bike trail project that will safely connects residents of South Baltimore and northern Anne Arundel County neighborhoods to the Middle Branch; this effort is being led by Greater Baybrook Alliance, representing Brooklyn and Curtis Bay in Baltimore City and Brooklyn Park in Anne Arundel County.
  • Maryland Port Administration/DOT-led infrastructure projects, including the reconstruction of the Key bridge and the federal grant-funded redesign of the I-895 toll plaza and surrounding interchanges.

Impacts to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial/Hanover Street Bridge

This bridge built in 1916, known also as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge, is a 0.5-mile, cast concrete and movable-span, historic structure crossing the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River between the South Baltimore Peninsula and the Cherry Hill neighborhood. Recent inspection reports have concluded that the bridge is in poor condition. The current roadway design on and leading to the bridge is inhospitable to residents of disadvantaged communities to the south in accessing economic and employment opportunities to the north, due to narrow and inadequate pedestrian and bicycle facilities and a lack of transit accommodations.

One of the key decisions that will need to be addressed during environmental review is whether it is better to rehabilitate or replace the bridge. Were it to be reconstructed, it would open opportunities to re-design the approaches and nearby street grid on both ends of the bridge to enhance intra-neighborhood circulation and access to amenities beyond South Baltimore residents’ home neighborhoods.

Prior Studies

Portions of the corridor have been subjects of concept design at varying levels through multiple planning initiatives. These include the City’s adopted Reimagine Middle Branch Plan (2023), the Cherry Hill Transformation Plan (2020), Hanover Street Corridor Study (2018), the Greater Baybrook Vision and Action Plan (2016), and the Port Covington Master Plan (2016). The Baybrook Connector initiative (2022-23) and other recent community-supported efforts promote improved mobility by introducing multi-use trails and Main Street improvements that follow or intersect the corridor.

The Project’s design activities will evaluate these ideas with the goal of incorporating pre-existing community priorities into one coherent, integrated vision for the corridor.

Follow Project

To receive email newsletter updates and information about public engagement activities related to the Revitalize Hanover Street Project, please click the “Follow Project” link in the right column of this webpage and provide your email address.

Page last updated: 29 Jan 2025, 08:39 AM