Maryland officials propose to demolish and rebuild both spans of Chesapeake Bay Bridge due to strain from heavy traffic. New, wider spans aim to improve traffic flow and accommodate larger ships passing underneath. Public input will help shape final decision by 2026. Additional bridge projects also in works, including rebuilding Francis Scott Key Bridge.
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The Chesapeake Bay Bridge
The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) has recommended knocking down both the eastbound and westbound spans of the state's Chesapeake Bay Bridge and replacing them with new, potentially wider spans.
The proposal comes as the state continues to study alternatives to the current aging bridge spans, which have become increasingly strained by the level of traffic across the bay, particularly during summer months when they are heavily traveled by beachgoers.
Gov. Larry Hogan (R) initially announced the project in 2016.
If approved, the replacement bridge spans would be built near the existing ones, according to a recent MDTA news release. The current bridge, formally called the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge, carries U.S. Highway 50/301 across Chesapeake Bay from Anne Arundel County to Queen Anne's County.
The process of weighing improvements to the bay crossing is now in its second stage, the Washington Post reported Nov. 16.
The first tier of the study, which was completed in 2022, assessed the best location for any new bay crossing. It ultimately landed on utilizing the same corridor across the water that the current spans are in now. That phase of study cost about $5 million, said MDTA Executive Director Bruce Gartner.
The second phase, which will drill down on what kind of crossing to create and what features it should include, is estimated to total about $28 million, he told the Post.
Two Spans Would Make Maintenance, Upgrades Easier
New bridges are expected to cost about $7.3 billion to $8.4 billion depending on their width, according to MDTA materials. In terms of a potential design and construction timeline, "it's too early to say," Gartner said.
The agency recommended eliminating various types of crossings also under consideration, including a tunnel, ferry or double-decker bridge, the Washington, D.C.-based newspaper noted.
Gartner said there were numerous reasons for the MDTA's recommendation.
In contrast to one large span, a pair of spans would provide a greater level of flexibility for maintenance and improvements. And, in comparison to constructing a tunnel, the bridge spans will have a relatively limited environmental impact on the Chesapeake Bay itself.
Aboveground bridge spans also are expected to be less costly than the tunnel options and invite the potential for a biking and pedestrian path, Gartner said.
"It's scalable, in some ways, over time," he said.
The findings will now be put before the public, who can provide input at open houses throughout December.
Gartner stressed that the state's proposed bridge design is simply a recommendation, and the MDTA will need copious community feedback before making a final decision.
"Nothing is determined yet," he said in speaking with the Post. "That's the purpose of the public open house; to get comments and get questions about these things."
Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman and Queen Anne's County Administrator Todd Mohn, from the western and eastern sides of the bridge, respectively, said they were pleased with the recommendation and agreed that two new and possibly larger spans will hopefully provide much-needed traffic relief for their residents along U.S. 50/301.
"You talk to anybody who lives in the Broadneck Peninsula, and they'll tell you that traffic issues as a result of the Bay Bridge are a real downer," Pittman explained. "It makes people not want to live here."
Mohn said he, too, is glad to see the project progressing, adding that the traffic generated by bottlenecks on the bridge is not just a hassle for drivers, but an obstacle for emergency services. As an example, he noted that Queen Anne County's firefighters are primarily volunteers, meaning that they must drive to the fire station before they can answer a call, and bridge traffic slows down those responses.
"It's a public safety issue for us," he added. "We're just happy that the second phase of the study is now nearing completion."
Higher Spans Would Allow Larger Ships to Pass Underneath
After the public feedback period, the MDTA team will tackle other bridge design questions, including how many lanes the spans would have and how public transit should figure into the design. More hearings will follow, as well, before the state agency decides how to proceed with the project at the end of 2026, Gartner said.
The Post noted that repairs on the current pair of bridge spans, which are more than 50 and 70 years old, are costly and forecast to become even more expensive in the coming years.
Designing the potential new bridge spans wisely also could yield positive outcomes for the region's commerce, officials said.
If bridges spans are chosen, Gartner said that could allow the MDTA to account for increasingly large ships to pass underneath with structures set high enough above the water. Down the line, the current height could limit the kind of trade the bay can accommodate and, in turn, the prosperity of the Port of Baltimore to the northwest.
The Bay Bridge is only one of the major bridge infrastructure projects ahead in the state.
Initial plans are in motion to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed after a cargo ship collided with it in March, killing six people and turning the beloved piece of the Baltimore skyline to rubble.
Slated to be completed by the fall of 2028, that project is expected to cost between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion, Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld said last spring.
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