Bay Bridge Lane Closures Coming During Multi-Year Project

ANNAPOLIS, MD — A major rehabilitation project will bring lane closures to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

Crews will replace the deck, or the roadway, of the eastbound span starting in fall 2023. Officials expect to finish in the winter spanning late 2025 and early 2026.

The Maryland Transportation Authority Board approved the $140 million construction contract on Thursday.

Most of the work will be done overnight when the eastbound span closes, weather permitting. The westbound span will have two-way traffic to accommodate eastbound drivers.

Both spans will be open during peak hours. There will be daytime closures during off-peak hours to prepare the next phase for the busy night shift.

"The MDTA is putting innovation at the forefront to deliver this needed re-decking to enhance safety and preserve the Bay Bridge," MDTA Chairman and Maryland Transportation Secretary James F. Ports Jr. said in a press release. "I want to assure our local communities and Bay Bridge commuters that we've designed this project to limit travel impacts in every way we can."

MDTA Executive Director William Pines said the eastbound Bay Bridge deck replacement project will work in sections. This will prevent 24/7 closures, unlike the 2019 westbound right lane overlay project.

"We’ll utilize off-peak lane closures during the day to get work areas ready to ensure successful night shifts," Pines said in the release. "During those overnight shifts we’ll remove portions of the bridge deck, install precast deck panels, secure openings between panels and reopen lanes in time for morning commuters."

The new sections of the deck will be fabricated off-site. A barge will bring those pre-cast sections to the Bay Bridge. Water-based equipment will be used to replace the deck panels, minimizing lane closures during most deliveries.

This is similar to the method used when the westbound bridge's suspension span was re-decked from 2007 to 2010. That project minimized traffic for commuters and locals, the release said.

Some parts of the eastbound deck are nearly 50 years old and are at the end of their service life, a 2015 MDTA study found. Crews have patched the roadway extensively, but officials determined it's time for a full deck replacement.

Pre-construction work started in July 2021. Local firms Corman of Annapolis Junction and McLean Contracting of Glen Burnie handled this design and planning phase.

The MDTA Board last Thursday approved the joint venture, now Kokosing McLean, for the construction contract.

This project will also include:

• Barrier upgrades
• Major structural rehabilitation of the truss superstructure
• Lane use signal gantry replacements
• Utility relocations
• Off-site stormwater management work

Project updates will be posted at baybridge.com.

Maryland is also debating whether to build a third span of the Bay Bridge near the existing two crossings.

To learn more about that push, read this story.

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