Chesapeake Bay Bridge
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge (officially known as the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge, named after former Maryland governor William Preston Lane Jr.) crosses the Chesapeake Bay as part of US Rt. 50/Rt. 301 from Anne Arundel County, Maryland to Queen Anne's County, Maryland. The bridge's dual spans provide a direct connection between Maryland's rural Eastern Shore and the metropolitan areas of Baltimore, Annapolis and Washington, D.C. The bridge also forms part of an alternative route from the Delaware Memorial Bridge to the nation's capital and has been the location of the Bay Bridge Walk for 28 years.
With lengths of 4.33 and 4.35 miles, the bridges are among the world's longest and most-scenic over-water structures. The original span was built in 1952 and provides a two-lane roadway for eastbound traffic. The parallel structure opened in 1973 and has three lanes for westbound travelers. During the past fiscal year, nearly 25 million vehicles crossed the Bay Bridge. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is a toll facility; it costs $2.50 for a normal vehicle to continue eastbound.
Current plans to construct a third Maryland span across the Chesapeake Bay are in the preliminary stages, with a southerly crossing connecting St. Mary's County to Somerset County the most sensible option.
It should be noted that the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel is a different structure that has a greater total length and crosses the mouth of Chesapeake Bay farther south.
See also
External Links