The Maryland Transportation Authority prefers Option 7, from Sandy Point to Kent Island, as pictured here from the Draft Environmental Impact Statement on a proposed third Bay Bridge span. (Courtesy Maryland Transportation Authority)
This content was republished with permission from WTOP’s news partners at Maryland Matters. Sign up for Maryland Matters’ free email subscription today.
Before the pandemic, motorists traveling eastbound through Anne Arundel County toward the Bay Bridge endured tedious backups, particularly during beach season when commuters, contractors and vacationers mingled unhappily.
People who live in communities that straddle U.S. 50 on the Broadneck Peninsula and on Kent Island complained of being virtual prisoners, unable to leave their neighborhoods from Thursday through Sunday each week.
Watch Live: Pittman hosts town hall to discuss Chesapeake Bay Bridge expansion
capitalgazette.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from capitalgazette.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Need for third Bay Bridge in Maryland questioned amid pandemic
delawarebusinessnow.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from delawarebusinessnow.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Thu February 25, 2021 - Northeast Edition
Bay Journal
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is part of U.S. Routes 50/301. It is the only Bay vehicular crossing in Maryland. (Dave Harp / Bay Journal Media photo)
Maryland transportation officials recommend building a new Chesapeake Bay bridge at the site of the existing two spans that cross between Anne Arundel County and Kent Island.
The project will cost between $5.4 billion and $8.9 billion, depending on which construction methods are chosen. But a preliminary study concludes that the new crossing will prevent increasing traffic volumes from causing gridlock on Maryland s lone connection to the Eastern Shore across the Bay.
Maryland transportation officials have recommended building a new Chesapeake Bay bridge at the site of the existing two spans that cross between Annapolis and Kent Island.
The project will cost from $5.4 billion to $8.9 billion, depending on which construction strategy and methods are chosen. But a preliminary study concludes that the new crossing will prevent increasing traffic volumes from causing gridlock on the stateâs lone connection to the Eastern Shore across the Bay.
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is part of U.S. Routes 50/301. It is the only Bay vehicular crossing in Maryland. Dave Harp
The Maryland Transportation Authority, which operates the existing 4-mile toll bridge, released the long-awaited findings Feb. 23 in a draft environmental impact statement. The $5 million study had been scheduled for release in December 2020, but officials delayed the rollout amid a spike in COVID-19 cases, fearing it might suppress public comment.