A long-term rehabilitation project on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge’s westbound span ended Wednesday, when Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced construction wrapped more than a year ahead of schedule.
New concrete has been poured, work zone barriers removed and re-striping finished on the right lane of the westbound Bay Bridge, Hogan said Wednesday, reopening all three lanes to traffic and ending a traffic bottleneck in place since September 2019.
US-50 WB on Chesapeake Bay Bridge: *3* GREEN ARROWS, long term 24/7 right lane closure CLEARED (over 1 YEAR ahead of schedule) #Annapolis #MdTraffic #DCTraffic @WTOPtraffic @HunterTraffic @dePompaWTOP pic.twitter.com/q1BKnyEpz4
— Cordell (@CordellTraffic) April 1, 2020
Construction was originally projected to last up to a year, but the Maryland Transportation Authority was able to expedite work due to good weather and significantly reduced traffic during the coronavirus pandemic.
Initially, Maryland planned to work on the bridge for over two years but shortened their scheduled after concerns over impact to commuters and beach travelers.
“Maryland is facing significant challenges these days, and of course our primary focus is on the health and safety of our citizens amid the ongoing COVID-19 threat,” Hogan said.
“But it’s important to celebrate the reopening of the westbound right lane of the Bay Bridge, because for me it represents the spirit, dedication and work ethic that will see our state through any crisis.”
Some work to replace overheard gantries and deck sealing remains to be done on the westbound span center and left lanes, but those have been scheduled overnight or during off-peak hours and are expected to have minimal traffic impact.
Both Maryland and Virginia are continuing road construction work under stay-at-home directives in both states.
Toll booth removal also continues, as the Bay Bridge works to go cashless by the summer.
