Everything about The Chesapeake Bay Bridge totally explained
The
Chesapeake Bay Bridge (commonly known as the
Bay Bridge) is a major
dual-span bridge in the
U.S. state of
Maryland. Spanning the
Chesapeake Bay, it connects the state's
Eastern and
Western Shore regions. At 4.3 miles (7 km) in length, the original span was the world's longest continuous over-water steel structure when it opened in
1952. The bridge is officially named the
William Preston Lane, Jr. Memorial Bridge after
William Preston Lane, Jr. who, as
governor of Maryland, implemented its construction.
The bridge is part of
U.S. Routes 50 and
301 making it an important traffic artery in Maryland. As part of U.S. Route 50, it connects the
Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area with tourist destinations such as
Ocean City, Maryland,
Delaware's ocean resorts,
Assateague Island, and
Chincoteague, Virginia. As part of U.S. Route 301, it serves as part of an alternate route for
Interstate 95 travelers between northern Delaware and the
Washington, D.C. area.
History
Studies exploring the possibility of building a bridge across the Chesapeake Bay may have been conducted as early as the 1880s. The first known proposal came about in
1907 and called for a crossing between
Baltimore and
Tolchester Beach; other proposals, occurring in the years 1918, 1919, 1926, and 1935, also called for a bridge in this location. In
1927, local businessmen were authorized to finance the construction of a Baltimore-Tolchester Beach crossing. Plans for the new bridge were made, but construction was canceled following the
Stock Market Crash of 1929. In
1919 the
Claiborne-Annapolis Ferry Company began running ferries between Annapolis and
Claiborne, a community near
St. Michaels. In July
1930, the company added a new ferry route, one running from Annapolis to
Matapeake, a significantly shorter distance. The ferries were taken over by the
State Roads Commission in
1941, and two years later the Commission moved the western terminus of the Annapolis-Matapeake ferry to Sandy Point, shortening the trip.
A
1938 proposal by the
Maryland General Assembly, was the first to call for a bridge at the Sandy Point-Kent Island location. as both the longest continuous over-water steel structure and third longest bridge in the world. On
November 9,
1967, the bridge was dedicated to Governor Lane, who had died earlier that year, and officially renamed the William Preston Lane, Jr. Memorial Bridge.
Also in 1967, due to increasing traffic volumes, the Maryland General Assembly authorized three possible new crossings, all suggested during the
1964 Chesapeake Bay crossing study. The task force concluded that a bridge would be the best option for an additional crossing, and four geographic locations for such a bridge were explored: Baltimore County to Kent County, Anne Arundel County to Queen Anne's County (the existing location), Anne Arundel or Calvert County to Talbot County, and Calvert County to Dorchester County. In late
2006, the task force released a report on the study but didn't make a final recommendation; members of the task force requested additional time to continue the study.
Specifications and operations
With shore-to-shore lengths of 4.33 and 4.35
miles. Each span features:
- Two main spans over the bay's two shipping channels:
- A 3200 foot (980 m) suspension span over the western channel with a maximum clearance of 186 feet (56.7 m) — high enough to accommodate ocean-going vessels and tall ships
- A through-truss cantilever span over the eastern channel with a maximum clearance of 58 feet (18 m)
- Deck truss and steel girder spans flanking the main spans
- Concrete beam spans on the portions closest to the shores
- A curve near the western terminus, which is required so that the main spans cross the bay's shipping channels at 90 degrees per United States Army Corps of Engineers requirements
Traffic control
Traffic patterns on the bridge's five lanes can be adjusted via its
lane control system, which consists of overhead lane control signals on both spans and approaches. Typically, the two lanes on the south span are configured for vehicles traveling east on eastbound U.S. 50/northbound U.S. 301, while the three lanes on the north span are configured for vehicles traveling west on westbound U.S. 50/southbound U.S. 301; the spans are therefore referred to as the "eastbound span" and "westbound span", respectively. However, this pattern is adjusted during incidents or peak travel times: for instance, on the outset of weekends when there's a high volume of beach-bound traffic, one lane on the westbound span is configured for eastbound traffic.
Beginning in
2006, pink markers were placed along the eastbound span to mark out the suggested following distance, similar to systems used in
Minnesota and
Pennsylvania. The markers are a part of the MdTA's "Pace Your Space" campaign to prevent
vehicle collisions and
traffic congestion due to
tailgating on the bridge.
Tolls and fees
Operated by the
Maryland Transportation Authority (MdTA), the bridge has a one-way (eastbound) toll, which is (as of
2008) $2.50 for two-axle vehicles paying with cash or
E-ZPass, and $1.00 for vehicles using an E-ZPass that's involved in the Bay Bridge commuter program. Books of twelve toll passes (each good for one eastbound trip across the bridge) can also be purchased for $25.00, which is approximately $2.08 per pass. Vehicles with more than two axles pay $2.50 for the first two axles, plus an extra $2.50 for each additional one.
The MdTA contracts with private companies to provide transportation across the bridge for nervous drivers and cyclists for fees of $25 and $35, respectively.
Bay Bridge Walk and Run
While there are no pedestrian facilities on the bridge, the Bay Bridge Walk and Governor's Bay Bridge Run afford an opportunity to cross the bridge on foot. The events take place on the eastbound span, which is closed to vehicles while two-way traffic shares the westbound span. Participants start on the east end of the bridge (on Kent Island) and proceed west to the finish near the toll plaza.
WMATA and
MTA transit buses transport participants between outlying parking areas and the start and finish points.
The run, a 10
k race across the bridge, is held early in the morning before the walk. It is conducted by the Annapolis Striders, a local racing organization.
The walk was first held in
1975. It was canceled for the first time in
1980 due to poor weather conditions, and later saw frequent cancellations throughout the
2000s. During this period the walk was canceled in:
2002 and 2007 due to poor weather conditions,
2003 and 2005 due to security concerns,
Following its cancellation in 2005, the MdTA considered decreasing the annual frequency of the events, citing traffic, fiscal, manpower, and security concerns. Nevertheless, the events resumed in 2006.
Impact
Since its construction, the bridge has made significant impacts on both sides of the bay, among them has been the growth of Eastern Shore communities. When the bridge opened in 1952, and again when the second span was added in 1973, the Eastern Shore was given easier access to Baltimore and Washington, causing areas in southern Queen Anne's County to develop as bedroom communities. This extension of the Baltimore-Washington suburbs has led Queen Anne's County to be listed as part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The bridge has also given easier access to Ocean City from the Western Shore, which has caused Ocean City to grow from a small town to one that's said to become the second largest city in Maryland during the summer.
In 1948, the impending completion of the bridge gave rise to an extension of U.S. Route 50 to Ocean City. The route was extended along the corridor of Maryland Route 404 and a large portion of U.S. Route 213, cutting both routes back. During the 1950s, US 50 on the Western Shore was rerouted onto the long-proposed Annapolis-Washington Expressway (now known as the John Hanson Highway), which was built at the time in order to provide better access to the bridge. As the Eastern Shore, particularly Ocean City, grew, further upgrades and realignments of U.S. 50 took place. This work included the aforementioned 1973 completion of the second Bay Bridge span, the extension of the U.S. 50 freeway eastward to the U.S. 50/301 split in Queenstown, and the routing of U.S. 50 onto the Salisbury Bypass in 2003. Additionally, the road has been upgraded and realigned over the years from its original 2-lane configuration to a 4-lane divided highway, with the last such section being in Vienna, which was bypassed in 1991. As of 2008, there are plans for further upgrades to U.S. 50, including extending its freeway portion in Queen Anne's County to Maryland Route 404 outside of Wye Mills and replacing the aging Harry Kelley Memorial Bridge into Ocean City.
Notable incidents
On September 18, 2003, during Hurricane Isabel, the bridge was temporarily closed due to high winds, marking the first time it was closed due to weather. Other bridges in Maryland, even smaller bridges such as the nearby Kent Narrows Bridge, were also closed during the storm.
On May 10, 2007, three people were killed and five injured in an accident that closed the westbound span for seven hours. The accident involved multiple collisions that started when a trailer separated from an SUV; investigators found no evidence of a safety pin having been installed on the SUV's trailer hitch, and found that the safety chains on the trailer were too long for use in towing.Further Information
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