New Bay Bridge Crossing Site Proposed By MD Officials

ANNAPOLIS, MD — The debate over whether to add another span to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge has been years in the making. State highway officials announced some progress Tuesday. The Maryland Transportation Authority, which operates the bridge, recommended a third crossing near the current two spans in Annapolis.

This preferred area is known as Corridor 7. Highway officials think building here would relieve the most traffic.

The Other Options

The proposal is tentative, and other options are still under consideration. Those potentials are:

• Building no more bridges
• Constructing a crossing from Pasadena to the Eastern Shore (Corridor 6)
• Erecting a span from Mayo to the Eastern shore (Corridor 8)

Under the Pasadena potential, cars would follow Maryland Route 100 until it hits Maryland Route 177. The bridge would jet out near Gibson Island and tie into U.S. Route 301 on the Eastern Shore.

With the Mayo possibility, traffic would flow from U.S. Route 50 to Maryland Route 424 and into Maryland Route 214 on the Western Shore. The crossing would start around the mouth of Rhode River near Beverly Triton Nature Park. This would eventually connect with U.S. Route 50 on the Eastern Shore.

Both the Pasadena and Mayo plans would require building new roads on the Eastern Shore to connect to main thoroughfares. Like state highway officials, Gov. Larry Hogan doesn't think either of these pitches is suitable.

"There is only one option I will ever accept: adding a third span to our existing Bay Bridge," Hogan said on Twitter in 2019. "While the federal process requires multiple proposals, the data is indisputable — this option would maximize congestion relief and minimize environmental impact."

The process of selecting the location of a potential third crossing started in 2016. At that point, 14 corridors were on the table.

Starting in 2019, the state conducted a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Chesapeake Bay Crossing Study. The $5 million research project was supposed to conclude in December 2020, but officials released the report Tuesday. They said the coronavirus pandemic delayed their efforts.

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Public Comment

Now, state planners want to hear residents' thoughts on the remaining options, including the no-build possibility. The full study is available here.

Marylanders can submit share their opinions by:

• Emailing info@baycrossingstudy.com
• Mailing to Bay Crossing Study, 2310 Broening Highway, Baltimore Maryland 21224
• Joining a telephone town hall
• Attending an in-person workshop

The telephone town halls will be on April 14 and April 15. Sessions will last from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. each day. Participants must preregister at this link. If interested attendees cannot access the internet, they may call 1-877-249-8370 to sign up.

The first in-person workshop will take place on April 21 in the DoubleTree Hotel, located at 210 Holiday Court, Annapolis, Maryland 21401. The second in-person hearing will convene the following day in Kent Island's American Legion Hall, located at 800 Romancoke Road, Stevensville, Maryland 21666.

Attendees must follow coronavirus safety protocols at both events. To register for either in-person session, call 1-877-249-8370.

All comments are due by 11:59 p.m. on May 10.

What's Next

Maryland will complete the first wave of research, known as a Tier 1 study, in winter 2021/2022. Highway officials must submit a Final Environmental Impact Statement/Record of Decision at that time. This report would finalize which corridor the state would use if a third crossing were constructed.

From there, Maryland would conduct a Tier 2 study to examine how to adapt and build roads within the selected corridor. That state may never reach that second period of research, as it has not yet secured funding for the additional study.

A third crossing is still only a potential. It is far from guaranteed, but Hogan insisted that the project is necessary.

"Inaction is simply not an option," the governor added in his 2019 tweet. "Research tells us that if we fail to act, motorists could experience up to 14-mile delays by 2040. Marylanders all across the state depend on being able to cross the Chesapeake Bay, and this is the only serious way forward."

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RELATED:

• Does Bay Bridge Need Third Span?
• Bay Bridge Crossing Options: Public Hearings Run Through Oct. 9
• Zipper Merge Technique Recommended For Bay Bridge Construction
• Only 1 Option For New Bay Bridge Crossing Gov. Hogan Will OK

Have a story idea? Please contact me at jacob.baumgart@patch.com with any pitches, tips or questions. Follow me on Twitter @JacobBaumgart and on Facebook @JacobBaumgartJournalist to stay up-to-date with the latest Anne Arundel County and Prince George's County news.