

Chesapeake bay bridge 2021 series#
The work is part of a series of construction projects on the bridge over the past decade. The final phase of westbound span painting, began in spring 2017 and involved cleaning and painting the through-truss span and welded steel-girder spans on the eastern portion of the bridge.

Phases 1 and 2 were completed in October 2013 and phase 3 was completed in May 2015. The project was in four phases and included the painting of girder, deck-truss, through-truss, suspension spans, the suspension towers, and steel rail posts. A project to clean and paint the structural steel components of the westbound Bay Bridge began in 2011. Work included the installation of supplemental cables, rehabilitation of the suspension span superstructure and bearings, and priority repairs found during annual inspections. The platforms remained for the duration of the project, reducing the need for and the frequency of lane closures. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is maintained and operated by the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA).Īs part of the MDTA's $29.6 million rehabilitation project for the westbound suspension span, crews installed access platforms in various locations along and beneath the westbound Bay Bridge roadway in fall 2016. Tolls are collected in the eastbound direction only. During periods of heavy eastbound traffic, one lane of the westbound bridge is "reversed" to carry eastbound travelers ("two-way" traffic operations).

The parallel structure opened in June 1973 and has three lanes for westbound travelers. The original span opened in July 1952 and provides a two-lane roadway for eastbound traffic. At four miles, the spans are among the world's longest and most scenic over-water structures. Memorial Bridge on Route US 50/301 crossing the Chesapeake Bay near Annapolis, MD, with it's dual spans, provides a direct connection between recreational and ocean regions on Maryland's Eastern Shore and the metropolitan areas of Baltimore, Annapolis, and Washington, DC, for an average traffic volume of approx. Register HERE by May 16 for early bird pricing! MDTA's Chesapeake Bay Bridge on Route US 50/301 crossing the Chesapeake Bay near Annapolis, MD.
