OCEAN CITY – While the state continues to wrestle with alternative Chesapeake Bay bridge crossings, resort officials this week lent their support for a replacement eight-lane span at the existing location.
For the last few years, the Maryland Transportation Authority has been exploring options to replace the existing William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bay Bridge over the Chesapeake Bay. The state legislature has approved funding for a two-tiered study for the best options, the first of which has been completed.
Options explored have included replacing the existing spans along Route 50 that run between Queen Anne’s County at the eastern terminus and Anne Arundel County at the western terminus. Other options have included a new crossing in southern Maryland connecting that area of the state to the lower Eastern Shore, or a new crossing north on the existing spans.
On Tuesday, at the request of both Queen Anne’s and Anne Arundel counties, the Mayor and Council approved a resolution supporting a replacement of the existing spans in their current locations. Mayor Rick Meehan pointed out while jurisdictions on both sides of the bay will ultimately be affected by whatever plans for a new crossing are finally approved, Anne Arundel and Queen Anne’s stand the most to lose or gain.
“We were requested to support this by the other counties and the reason I feel support is warranted is the fact that it is supported by the counties that are directly affected,” he said. “These are the counties where the bridge will reside basically.”
You could widen the Bay Bridge up to 200 lanes but it wont help because they all merge back onto the 2 lane Rt. 50 and will just add more congestion when you come off the bridge. I am not an engineer by no means but this just seems to be common sense.
Bottom line is we need another Route to the Eastern Shore to relieve the primary existing routes.
That correct another souther crossing is required. They are just moving the backup from one side of the bridge to to Queen Annes County. Four East bound lanes in to three into 2 lanes just doesn’t make sense
Why do they worry about that damn bridge so much. It’s hectic about 3 months a year.
213 and 404 need real interchanges to remove the stoplights. Then build real bypasses around Easton and Cambridge…all before you consider more work on bridges…
just shut the damn thing down and leave all those lib aholes where they belong!
When the Bridges were built no one imagined that one day all the WRONG people could afford cars.