Susan Whitney-Wilkerson/The Gazette Three proposals are being discussed for replacing the Humpback Bridge, a 60-year-old span over railroad tracks between Gaithersburg and Washington Grove,.

The issue of what should be done for the East Deer Park Drive bridge, which has been given a life expectancy of two to five years, remains a contentious one, and opinions are falling into two categories.

Deer Park residents are pushing for an option that would move the bridge, turning East Deer Park Drive into a dead-end street.

Washington Grove residents say all the options are unacceptable and believe there are other, less disruptive possibilities.

To present the three options, the county held a public workshop Monday night, where people could ask questions, submit comments, and scrawl notes on posters illustrating the concepts.

The county began brainstorming different ways to replace the bridge last year, after a March 2004 study suggested the bridge is deteriorating.

To meet railroad regulations, any new bridge would also have to be four feet taller than the current 19-foot bridge.

The project team that developed the options includes representatives from the county Department of Public Works and Transportation, Gaithersburg, Washington Grove, and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, said Jeri Cauthorn, senior transportation planner for the county.

Under the first option, the county would build a new bridge from Oakmont Avenue to about where the bridge ends now.

This option would drastically reduce speeding traffic on East Deer Park Drive, by turning it into a no-outlet street.

Though the county doesn't know to what extent, it would have an impact on businesses on the east side of the tracks, and possibly force some to close, said Ollie Mumpower, engineering services director for Gaithersburg's department of public works.

"For my own personal and selfish reasons I like number one, but it would also eradicate a lot of businesses," Deer Park resident Gary Koenig said.

Under the second option, the county would build a road linking Oakmont Avenue to Central Avenue, which would cross the railroad and onto Washington Grove Lane. This would have a similar impact on businesses on the west side of the tracks, Mumpower said.

A third option is to build a bigger and taller bridge where the humpback bridge is now.

Though this option would be least disruptive for Washington Grove, many town residents are still against it.

"If they build this, it will enable a much higher volume of traffic and a worsening of accidents, and it will be an eyesore for the town," Washington Grove resident Glenn Perry said.

The town suggested that the county ask the railroad, CSX Corp., for permission to lower the tracks, Mayor John Compton said. "It would mean less of a bridge, less of an income."

Though the county is pursuing that idea, "CSX has been rather negative about it," Cauthorn said. "It presents a lot of problems," because the construction could slow or even shut down interstate commerce.

The project team still does not know exactly how much each option would cost, but many residents still questioned why the county would spend millions of dollars on residential roads.

"The bottom line is it seems there would be an awful lot of money spent to build roads that go nowhere," said Ted Holt, who lives on Central Avenue.