Harford County officials broke ground on a new Riverside Fire Station in Belcamp on July 31, an additional site for the Abingdon Fire Company.

The station, located off Route 543 with access to Interstate 95 and Route 40, will have three bays for fire and EMS units, bunk rooms and a training room. This station is expected to improve response times in the area, said Nate Ervin, president of the Abingdon Fire Company.

“The Riverside Fire Station fills a critical gap in our emergency response network,” County Executive Bob Cassilly said in a news release. “I would like to thank the Abingdon Fire Company and all our volunteer fire companies for their dedication and the vital services they provide to our citizens.”

The station is expected to be completed in 2025. Plans started in the early 2000s, but the Abingdon Fire Company had limited resources to fund the project, Ervin said.

The 2007 Fire Report for the Harford County Fire and EMS Association identified the need for the station. The project was discussed with Harford County over the past four years but didn’t receive traction until the county executive made it a priority for this year’s budget, Ervin said.

“Harford County has been a great partner on this project, and the project would have never happened without their help,” Ervin said. “The process was very quick and easy.”

The station became a $10 million county-funded project, and the budget covers design fees and construction costs associated with the new station. Construction is expected to start mid-August, said the Harford County Executive’s Office in an emailed statement.