Steve Burns
WMAL.com
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – (WMAL) With the two curving spans of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge shining in the late summer sun behind him, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan Tuesday announced the first steps his administration is taking toward replacing those two spans.
The two current spans can be maintained through 2065, but Hogan said it would be tough to make drivers wait that long as traffic only grows worse. Analysis done by the Maryland Department of Transportation indicates traffic is expected to increase by 30% in 2040, which could lead to backups around 14 miles long on summer weekends.
The process toward building a new bridge starts with a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Study, to begin this fall, Hogan said.
“It will allow us to narrow down the options and identify a potential location for a new Chesapeake Bay crossing, and to explore the possible financing options,” Hogan said. “It is the first critical step needed in order to move forward in addressing the long-range issue of future traffic congestion on the Bay Bridge.”
The study is expected to take about four years, so Hogan warned against any unrealistic expectations out of the announcement.
“It’s going to be a problem for a long time, and this isn’t going to magically happen overnight. But it’s never going to get done if you don’t start,” he said. “I won’t be governor when this bridge is completed, but at least I’ll be the one that got it started.”
The eastbound span opened in 1952; the westbound span opened 21 years later. According to a study released by the state last December, demolishing the two spans and building an entirely new 8-lane crossing would cost about $7 billion.
Copyright 2016 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (PHOTO: WMAL/Steve Burns)
