Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay Crossing Study is going public with the four possible locations for a new bridge or crossing between the state’s western and eastern shores.
The preliminary options include three potential spots for a new Bay Bridge span, and one “no-build” option. According to the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA), All of them comply with the National Environmental Policy Act.
The three corridor alternatives to be analyzed are listed by MDTA below:
- Corridor 6: MD 100 to US 301 between Pasadena (Anne Arundel County), Rock Hall (Kent County) and Centreville (Queen Anne’s County);
- Corridor 7: existing Bay Bridge corridor, US 50/301 to US 50 between Crofton (Anne Arundel County) and Queenstown (Queen Anne’s County); and
- Corridor 8: US 50/301 between Crofton (Anne Arundel County) and Easton (Talbot County).
While data indicates all three options would positively impact congestion, MDTA leaders say traffic models show that Corridor 7– a third crossing within the same corridor as the existing Bay Bridge– would reduce traffic the most.
Six open houses are scheduled for September and October, on both sides of the Bay. The three preliminary corridor alternatives, the no-build alternative (which may include a ferry or other form of transportation), and the original full range of options will all be up for public review and comment.
Here are the planned open houses just announced:
| Tuesday, Sept. 24 (6-8 p.m.)Kent County High School25301 Lambs Meadow Rd.Worton, MD 21678 | Wednesday, Sept. 25 (6-8 p.m.)Queen Anne’s County High School125 Ruthsburg Rd.Centreville, MD 21617 |
| Thursday, Sept. 26 (6-8 p.m.)Calvert High School600 Dares Beach Rd.Prince Frederick, MD 20678 | Tuesday, Oct. 1 (6-8 p.m.)Middle River Middle School800 Middle River Rd.Middle River, MD 21220 |
| Wednesday, Oct. 2 (6-8 p.m.)Anne Arundel Community College101 College Pkwy.Arnold, MD 21012 | Thursday, Oct. 3 (6-8 p.m.)Talbot County Community Center10028 Ocean GatewayEaston, MD 21601 |
Funded by toll dollars, the Bay Crossing study was ordered by Governor Larry Hogan to solve the frequent major congestion at the Bay Bridge, Maryland’s only Chesapeake Bay crossing. This is only “Tier 1” of the study. It started in 2016 and is expected to be finished in 2021. After the best corridor is selected, a Tier 2 study would identify “specific alignment alternatives” within that two-mile-wide corridor. For more information on the four preliminary alternatives, visit baycrossingstudy.com.
-Meg Walburn Viviano
