New Bay Bridge Crossing: MD Officially Proposes Location For 3rd Span

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Maryland authorities on Thursday proposed building a third span of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge near the existing two crossings. The state hopes adding another span would relieve traffic on U.S. Route 50 during rush hour, beach season and holiday vacations.

Officials have debated whether to build an extra crossing for years.

This week's announcement completes the first step of an environmental impact analysis, but another review would be needed if Maryland decides to continue with the project. The second survey would examine the effects of specific locations within the approved two-mile corridor surrounding the current bridge.

The initial evaluation is posted at baycrossingstudy.com.

The state is still years away from designing and constructing another span, so the plan is far from finalized. The recent news is just one of several hurdles to overcome.

How We Got Here

With 27.6 million crossings in 2019, the Bay Bridge has been one of Maryland's worst traffic bottlenecks for years. Driving across the bridge is the quickest way for most Marylanders to reach the Eastern Shore. That popularity causes frequent traffic jams, especially during peak travel times.

Authorities have pitched several solutions over the last decade. Suggestions included adding a third span and replacing the existing structures with a single, larger crossing.

The Maryland Transportation Authority, which operates the bridge, identified 14 possible locations for a third span. Those sites stretched from Harford County to St. Mary's County.

Highway officials narrowed that list to three remaining potentials and a no-build option in 2019. Those finalists were:

• Building no more bridges
• Constructing a crossing from Pasadena to the Eastern Shore (Corridor 6)
• Adding a span from Annapolis to the Eastern shore near the existing location (Corridor 7)
• Erecting an overpass from Mayo to the Eastern shore (Corridor 8)

Under the Pasadena possibility, cars would have followed Maryland Route 100 until it hits Maryland Route 177. The bridge would have jetted out near Gibson Island and tied into U.S. Route 301 on the Eastern Shore.

With the Mayo potential, traffic would have flowed from U.S. Route 50 to Maryland Route 424 and into Maryland Route 214 on the Western Shore. The crossing would have started around the mouth of Rhode River near Beverly Triton Nature Park. This would have eventually connected with U.S. Route 50 on the Eastern Shore.

Both the Pasadena and Mayo plans would have required building new roads on the Eastern Shore to connect to main thoroughfares.

Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman was unhappy and unsurprised with the state's Annapolis selection, but he wants to make the best of the situation.

"While we would have preferred a crossing that would draw traffic to other corridors, we must now work to ensure that the next phase of study protects our existing communities and environmentally-sensitive areas," Pittman said in a Thursday press release. "We must also explore future traffic patterns along the whole Route 50 corridor, including options for public transit, shifts from sprawl development to smart growth, and telecommuting."

Gov. Larry Hogan, on the other hand, has always preferred building in Annapolis.

"There is only one option I will ever accept: adding a third span to our existing Bay Bridge," Hogan said on Twitter in 2019. "While the federal process requires multiple proposals, the data is indisputable — this option would maximize congestion relief and minimize environmental impact."

The Transportation Authority in 2019 started its review, named the Chesapeake Bay Crossing Study: Tier 1 National Environmental Policy Act. The team released its Draft Environmental Impact Statement in February 2021, naming the Annapolis site the lead contender. Planners think this area will relieve the most traffic.

The draft got more than 850 agency and public comments while it was open for review from Feb. 23, 2021 through May 17, 2021.

The Transportation Authority published its final version of the report on Thursday. That announcement is called a Final Environmental Impact Statement and a Record of Decision. The Federal Highway Administration approved the document, which is viewable at this link and at these libraries.

This update formalized the Annapolis location as the route to pursue.

If the state decides to follow through, it must conduct the Tier 2 analysis. Maryland has not yet announced whether it will continue the process.

RELATED:

• Bigger Bay Bridge Proposed By Anne Arundel
• Bay Bridge Compromise Pitched
• Proposed Bay Bridge 3rd Span Location Focus Of Public Hearings
• New Bay Bridge Crossing Site Proposed By MD Officials
• Bay Bridge Crossing Options: Public Hearings Run Through Oct. 9
• Only 1 Option For New Bay Bridge Crossing Gov. Hogan Will OK

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