Montgomery County is set to acquire private land in Dickerson in hopes of eventually reopening the White’s Ferry shuttle that used to carry hundreds of cars daily across the Potomac River.

The acquisition is part of an agreement that officials and lawmakers are scheduled to announce Friday morning.

The loss of the ferry, which had connected communities on either side of the river since the late 18th century, has complicated commutes, cut off small businesses from potential customers and further isolated Poolesville, a rural town of fewer than 6,000 residents.

Jim Brown, president of the Poolesville Town Commissioners, said the land deal “sounds like it’s a step forward in reopening what is our main street.”

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“When White’s Ferry closed, it was like cutting off our left arm,” he said.

White’s Ferry closed in 2020 amid a legal dispute between the ferry’s former Maryland-based operator and the owners of Virginia’s Rockland Farm, where the ferry used to land.

The two parties later entered negotiations but couldn’t reach an agreement.

Chuck Kuhn, a Virginia-based business executive, bought the ferry and the Maryland landing site in 2021 with hopes of reopening it quickly. But he’s been unable to ink a deal with the Rockland Farm owners, siblings Libby Devlin and Peter Brown.

County Executive Marc Elrich said Thursday that he believes the county will have more success than the landowners in reaching a deal to reopen the ferry.

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“It’s been a very difficult issue getting both sides of the river to negotiate. This clears the way for us to be able to do that,” Elrich said.

Kuhn didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Kuhn and Montgomery County had been in negotiations over his land in recent months.

Under their recent agreement, the county will acquire the ferry and Kuhn’s land, which includes a boat ramp, picnic area and White’s Ferry Grill, according to county transportation Director Chris Conklin.

Conklin said the county has agreed to purchase some assets and received others from Kuhn as gifts. He said he wouldn’t disclose how much the county has agreed to pay until Friday’s press conference.

This is a developing story.