In 2019, the Maryland Transportation Authority instead voted to approve a $463 million dollar contract that did not have state funding for the bike and pedestrian paths.
The MTA said it offered to turn the old bridge over to Charles County, "but county officials declined the offer."
The advocates suing now say they believe the change of plans, while approved by the MTA, did not meet the rigorous environmental and transportation impact studies required. They argue since those studies were not done to the same extent as the original project, the old bridge should be kept and turned into a pedestrian and cycling bridge.
"It’s clear from our perspective that Maryland did not do the environmental homework and the studies that they needed to do to make this change by eliminating the bicycle and pedestrian paths, rights of ways on the new Nice Bridge," Brinkley said.