Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced Tuesday that by summer, the tolls at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge will be cashless.
The governor was with Maryland Transportation Authority Executive Director James Ports for the announcement.
Hogan joined Ports in removing one of three toll booths from the toll plaza. The lanes at the toll plaza are being widened as part of the new cashless tolling system.
Hogan congratulated the crews at work on resurfacing the deck on the westbound lane. Ports said the governor made it clear getting that work done on or ahead of schedule was a priority.
“When the governor says, ‘Do something,’ you’ve got to do it!” Ports said with a laugh.
Because of the accelerated work schedule in the fall, Ports said the work will finish a year ahead of schedule.
Hogan noted that volume on the bridge crossings won’t be solved completely by cashless tolling.
Though he was pleased with the pace of the deck work and reconfiguration of the toll plaza, Hogan said, “Getting it done is not going to solve all the problems. The bridges are still outdated, and we still gotta look at long-term solutions.”
He was asked about the addition of a new bridge span, and said the federal environmental study is underway. He has backed adding a new span near the current bridge.
Drivers will also want to keep in mind that Friday is the last day that cashless tolling will be in place on Thursdays and Fridays.
From Friday on, drivers will go back to having two options: using their E-ZPass or paying by cash.
WTOP’s Kate Ryan reported from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.
