Maryland will seek a full replacement of the existing Chesapeake Bay Bridge, though some construction is likely years away.
A Dec. 18 vote by the Maryland Transportation Authority board approved the preferred alternative recommended for the draft Level 2 environmental study, calling for the construction of two new four-lane bridges to replace the 4.3-mile double-span suspension bridges, built in 1952 and 1973 and officially named the Gov. William Preston Memorial Bridge Lane.
With a current estimated cost of $14.8 billion to $16 billion, nearly double the 2022 Tier 1 study estimate, the preferred alternative offers the lowest cost and lowest environmental impacts compared to other construction alternatives, the agency says. The 78-foot-wide bridges would double the intersection’s capacity and safety by providing 12-foot-wide lanes and 14-foot-wide median and outer shoulders. The structures will be elevated at a maximum grade of 3 percent to provide a vertical navigation distance of 230 feet, matching the new Key Bridge in Baltimore Harbor and allowing larger ships to access the city’s harbor. Protection measures for the piers, which are currently being adapted to the existing bridges, will also form part of the design of the new crossing.
The new eastbound span is to be located south of the existing eastbound crossing, while the new westbound span would be built between the two existing structures, both to be demolished once the new construction is complete. Road accesses on both sides of the bay will be widened to support traffic transitions.
A proposed shared bike and pedestrian path for the new bridges, which officials say would add about $1 billion to the cost of the project, was left out of the plan pending further evaluation.
While the crossing will remain tolled with the new bridges, the authority has yet to identify a funding strategy for design and construction. The agency already faces rising costs for the key bridge that have fueled debate over whether to follow through on then-President Biden’s promise of full federal funding for the replacement structure.
The authority now plans to publish its draft level 2 environmental study for the new bay bridge in January, with an eye towards a final record of decision in late 2026, coinciding with the procurement of final design services. According to the agency’s current schedule, construction would begin in 2032.
