Maryland Wins Approval to Design New Bay Crossing Near Existing Bridge

Federal highway officials have given the go-ahead for Maryland to move forward with plans to build a new Chesapeake Bay crossing near the existing Bay Bridge spans.

The Maryland Transportation Authority studied 14 potential options for a new bridge before selecting “Corridor 7,” the area adjacent to the two spans that connect the Annapolis area and Queen Anne’s County.

In approving Maryland’s “Tier 1” analysis, federal officials paved the way for the state to advance to the next phase in the process. A “Tier 2” study would produce an exact location for a third span, “within the two-mile-wide Selected Corridor Alternative.”

The next study would also consider a broad range of environmental and traffic impacts associated with construction and operation of a new bridge and the state would be required to identify its funding source. There would also be an analysis of how traffic and the environment would be impacted by a decision not to expand capacity.

The Federal Highway Administration issued its “record of decision” in tandem with a final environment impact statement on April 14. The MDTA released it on Thursday.

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