New Bay Bridge Span: Marylanders Can Give Feedback As Talks Progress

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Officials invited Marylanders to share their thoughts on a potential third span of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

The public comment period comes as the state advances its proposal to build an additional crossing near the existing two spans outside Annapolis. Planners hope these extra lanes would relieve some congestion around one of the state's biggest bottlenecks.

Environmental Impact

The debate has been years in the making, and Maryland is still years from potentially breaking ground.

The state finished its first environmental impact analysis earlier this year. This report examined more than a dozen potential corridors for building another span. The report's final decision was to propose building another crossing near the current site.

That Tier 1 study was the first of several hurdles that the project had to clear.

Gov. Larry Hogan on June 10 announced that Maryland launched its Tier 2 environmental study, which is required by the National Environmental Policy Act. These studies are necessary for all projects getting federal funding or approval. The Federal Highway Administration manages this process.

"In years to come, the traffic here will continue to get worse," Hogan said at a June press conference announcing the Tier 2 study. "Last year, we saw weekends with the highest traffic volumes on record."

By 2040, the governor said traffic is projected to grow by 22 percent on non-summer weekdays and 14 percent on summer weekends.

Community Feedback

During the Tier 2 study, leaders will host three open houses to hear community feedback.

The first meeting will be on Sept. 7 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. That virtual event will happen on Microsoft Teams. Residents can tune in by visiting bit.ly/tier2openhouse or dialing +1 443-409-5228. The Conference ID is 129 016 586#.

The second forum will be in Queen Anne’s County on Sept. 8 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. That conference will take place at Kent Island American Legion Post 278, which is located in Stevensville at 800 Romancoke Road.

The third chat will be in Anne Arundel County on Sept. 13 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. This final roundtable will happen at Broadneck High School, which is located in Annapolis at 1265 Green Holly Drive.

The Maryland Transportation Authority is hosting the open houses, which will all cover the same information. There will not be any formal presentations, but attendees can still learn about the Tier 1 and Tier 2 studies, ask questions and voice their opinions.

The open house materials are already posted on the study website at baycrossingstudy.com.

Anybody who needs free translation services or accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act can call the Maryland Transportation Authority at 410-537-1000 or 711 via Maryland Relay. Residents who need these services must reach out to the agency at least 10 days before their open house.

The comment period will be open until Oct. 14. Residents can participate by:

• Submitting a comment form at one of the in-person open houses
• Submitting an electronic comment form at baycrossingstudy.com
• Emailing comments to info@baycrossingstudy.com
• Printing and mailing a completed comment form to: Bay Crossing Study 2310 Broening Highway Baltimore, MD 21224
• Leaving a voicemail message 24/7 by calling 667-203-5408

What's Next

The Tier 2 study will examine the effects of specific locations within the approved 2-mile wide, 22-mile long corridor. That corridor runs from the Severn River Bridge on the Western Shore to the split of U.S. Route 50 and U.S. Route 301 on the Eastern Shore.

The analysis will also compare these potential sites with the option to not build another span.

The $28 million study could take 4 or 5 years before it's ready to submit to the Federal Highway Administration, also known as the FHWA.

The analysis will:

• Evaluate the necessary number of bridge and highway lanes to manage traffic
• Evaluate options such as a new bridge or replacement of the existing Bay Bridge
• Evaluate how buses, ferries, transportation system management and demand management could be used in conjunction with these crossing alignments
• Evaluate local access alternatives
• Review potential environmental impacts
• Determine project delivery methods, such as design-bid-build, design-build, or Public-Private Partnership, to organize and finance design, construction, operations, and maintenance
• Develop a financial plan that could lead to FHWA ultimately approving one alignment with a Tier 2 NEPA Record of Decision

If the study agrees that building a third span is the best option, the Federal Highway Administration may approve the project. The design could only begin after that. Officials would still need to acquire the necessary land before construction.

"We have heard loud and clear that taking the next step is a priority for everyone in Maryland," Hogan said at the June press conference.

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 an April 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 April 21. 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.

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

More information is available at baycrossingstudy.com.

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