<-----Potomac River Guide Home Page

Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge

This bridge, (otherwise known as the "Potomac River Bridge") was dedicated to Md. Governor Harry W. Nice. The bridge, at a dramatic turn in the river, marks the dividing line between the Lower Potomac Estuary and the Upper Estuary. The bridge is the only Potomac crossing below Washington, and was opened in 1940. At approximately this point, a famous ferry ran from Morgantown, Md. to Mathias Point in Virginia, as early as 1705. The ferry was part of the shortest route between the capitals of Maryland and Virginia and served as a principal link in the journeys of many early Americans, including George Washington, George Mason, and other founding fathers. Nearby is also the site of one of the river crossings by John Wilkes Booth after his assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The Harry W. Nice Bridge is operated by the Maryland Transportation Authority. Tolls are $1.50 for cars, collected southbound only.