Bay Bridge Backups Expected For Upcoming Holiday, Spring Break

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Major delays are anticipated on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge as additional people travel to the Eastern Shore for St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, spring break and warmer weekends in late April. In previous years during April, Bay Bridge motorists experienced weekend delays even when two-way traffic operations were in place to help alleviate eastbound delays. Weekend delays have the potential to extend to I-97 eastbound and the US 50/301 split westbound, even without weather impacts and incidents.

When holiday and spring break travel is combined with construction, considerable delays can be expected. The Maryland Department of Transportation asks motorists to plan ahead and travel the Bay Bridge during these off-peak periods:

• St. Patrick’s Day weekend, Friday, March 13, through Sunday, March 15, the best times to travel will be before 10 a.m. and after 8 p.m.
• Easter weekend, Thursday, April 9, through Sunday, April 12, the best times to travel will be before 10 a.m. and after 10 p.m. On Monday, April 13, the best times will be before 6 a.m. and after 6 p.m.

Thanks to mild temperatures and fairly cooperative winter weather, construction crews were able to expedite work. The MDTA also plans to aggressively tackle the remainder of the Bay Bridge project. Motorists should expect significant backups and delays during this period as the work will coincide with increases in traffic volume that accompany warmer weather.

Relatively mild temperatures allowed crews to fill 13 bridge joints and all eight full-depth puncture holes with rapid set concrete. The success of those pours sets the stage to help streamline the upcoming pours of latex modified concrete (LMC) – decking material that needs temperatures of at least 45 degrees and a five-day curing process. Approximately 58 percent of the westbound span’s right lane has already received the latex modified concrete layer. After the remaining 42 percent of the right lane deck has been laid with latex material, the lane will be able to support traffic. This deck project is necessary because the westbound right lane surface has reached the end of its service life and is severely deteriorated, the MDTA noted.

Motorists should be aware that in the coming weeks, mid-day westbound center lane closures may take place weekdays between the morning and afternoon rush hours. The center lane closures are necessary to give crews a safe work zone as they pour concrete onto the right lane. The center lane closures may occur Monday through Friday, any time between 10 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. daily, though the exact schedule will depend on weather, traffic volumes and work progress.

The westbound project also includes replacement of overhead signals and steel rail posts, deck sealing and deck/joint repairs in the center and left lanes. After the right lane is reopened, this additional work will take place during overnight/off-peak closures in the 2020-2021 construction season with minimal impact on traffic. Parts of this phase will require placement of steel plates in some areas of the bridge.

Along with reopening of the westbound right lane, all-electronic tolling also will be in place at the Bay Bridge by summer. With all-electronic tolling, cash will not be accepted as payment at the time of travel. Drivers won’t have to stop to pay tolls, as overhead gantries collect tolls electronically by E-ZPass® or Video Tolling.

To get ready for all-electronic tolling, toll lanes 3, 4 and 5 have been closed so crews can construct the free-flowing traffic lanes through the existing tolling structure. Work began Sunday evening into Monday morning on concrete pours for the base foundations that will hold the new overhead tolling gantry on the Eastern Shore side between the bridge and MD 8. During the week of March 9, one lane of the eastbound span may be closed between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. for additional gantry foundation work. Motorists also will see work for utility relocation, roadway reconstruction and installation of the gantry. Removal of remaining toll booths/canopy will happen after all-electronic tolling is live, with full roadway reconstruction in 2022.