Imagine a 10-lane Chesapeake Bay Bridge connecting motorists to and from Maryland’s Eastern Shore. A structure that big is on the table as state officials consider what’s next for the bridge and solicit public input.
On Tuesday, the Maryland Transportation Authority said it will host three meetings in December, one virtual and two in Annapolis and Queen Anne’s County, on future plans for the bridge.
The state will present six alternative plans for the bridge as it moves forward in an environmental study for the project. Among the alternatives would be two new spans which would be a lot wider than the five total lanes drivers have access to on the current two spans of the bridge.
The plans come as Maryland continues to explore ways to address future needs for the aging bridge. The westbound span is more than 50 years old, and the eastbound span is more than 70 years old.
The state began the process in 2022 with several ideas available for consideration, among them putting a new bridge in another location or using a tunnel to get cars from one side to another.
Those ideas are no longer being considered. Instead, Maryland proposed building a new full bridge that would be built one span at a time near the current spans, with older spans eventually being removed.
Among the alternatives are six, eight, or 10 lane options for the bridge, which increase the number of cars which can get over the bridge.
The design also considers the need for a taller bridge, as the state claims the current spans “do not provide desired navigational vertical clearance,” for shipping.
Bigger shoulders, bike and pedestrian lanes and bus service improvements are also being considered. So too is congestion pricing for drivers who use the crossing.
The state estimates the cost of a new bridge could range from $7.3 billion to $8.4 billion, depending on the number of lanes chosen. One alternative is not rebuilding the spans and instead paying to maintain them, which the state estimates would cost $3.8 billion through 2065.
The first hearing will be held on Dec. 4 online, and the second will happen at Broadneck High School in Annapolis on Dec. 9. The final meeting will be on Dec. 11 at Kent Island High School in Stevensville. All three meetings will go from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Anyone who wants to chime in will also be able to submit their comments online.
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