Maryland officials have narrowed options for a proposed future replacement of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

The two current bridge structures are insufficient to meet existing and future traffic demands to cross the bay, according to documents from the Maryland Transportation Authority, which owns and operates the state’s toll facilities like the Bay Bridge. So they began a lengthy process in 2017 with the Federal Highway Administration to figure out what to do.

While other potential crossing locations were initially considered, authorities focused their attention on the vicinity of the current bridge for reasons of cost, ease of construction and supporting road infrastructure. Other crossings closer to Baltimore or farther south would have to pass through more water and would require significantly more land road construction.

Here’s what you need to know:

Does this mean they will start building tomorrow?

No, and any new construction would still take years.

The MDTA is in the second stage of an environmental review process – essentially a cost-benefit analysis – aimed at determining whether the needs of a new bridge outweigh the potential negative impacts on the surrounding area. The state started the process in 2017 and likely won’t complete it for another two years.

If the call is to build something new and tear down existing bridges, it would still be years After this decision from 2026 until construction begins. That probably means in the 2030s.

Do current bridges need to be replaced?

The State could still choose a “no build” option: maintaining existing spans as well as any option to build one or more new bridges is required as part of the environmental review process.

But it is very unlikely that the authorities will move in this direction.

The current bridge is classified in “fair” condition, according to the national bridge inventoryand is safe to drive, but will reach the end of its “useful life” in the coming decades.

Keeping it in a safe condition would require investing about $3.8 billion over the next 40 years to maintain the current two spans – that’s about half the cost of building something new and would cause even more congestion serious in the future, according to MDTA documents, likely due to lane closures during maintenance and increasing traffic.

The shoulders of both spans are substandard, and the 185-foot clearance for vessels navigating the Chesapeake Bay is a “key constraint,” according to MDTA documents. The Francis Scott Key Bridge, which cargo ships also had to navigate before collapsing, was a similar height — the MDTA is seeking to rebuild the Key Bridge about 45 feet taller than before.

What are the construction options?

The MDTA has narrowed down the options for any future bridge to six. Agency officials will present these six alternatives and the “no construction” option at public meetings in December.

1. Variant A (6-5-6)or the “no construction” options, retain the current structures. The east and west bank approach roads (US 50/301) would remain at six total lanes of traffic, and the bridges at five total lanes.
2. Alternatives B and C (6-8-6) would keep the US 50/301 approaches as is, but construct two new bridge spans with a total of eight lanes. The difference between the two would be the exact location (slightly north or slightly south) of future spans within the designated corridor.
3. Alternatives D and E (8-8-8) would widen the US 50/301 approaches from six total lanes to eight and construct two new bridge spans with a total of eight lanes. The difference between the two would be the exact location (slightly north or slightly south) of future spans within the designated corridor.
4. Alternatives F and G (8-10-8) would widen the US 50/301 approaches from six total lanes to eight and construct two new bridge spans totaling ten lanes. The difference between the two would be the exact location (slightly north or slightly south) of future spans within the designated corridor.

By advancing these alternatives, the MDTA will close the book on the possibility of a tunnel or bridge-tunnel combination similar to a different crossings of the Chesapeake Bay near Norfolk, Virginia. A tunnel would cost more than twice as much as a bridge, and both a tunnel and a bridge-tunnel would have greater negative environmental impacts on the bay and restrict the transit of hazardous materials in trucks.

What else could a new bridge include?

Each of the proposed alternatives (excluding the “no construction” option) includes a 12-foot shoulder on the left and right sides of each bay, for four shoulders in total. The right shoulder would provide ample space for broken down or emergency vehicles. The left shoulder could be transformed into a traffic lane during rush hours.

Planners are also evaluating the feasibility of including a dedicated pedestrian and cyclist zone along one of the spans. There is also the possibility of using one of the lanes as a 24-hour bus lane, as part of an overhaul of the region’s public transport service. This would complete potential new park-and-ride facilities to facilitate carpooling or bus service to popular locations on either side of the bay.

And the tolls?

Tolls could be significantly changed. The MDTA is exploring the possibility of using congestion pricing to help control traffic.

Drivers currently pay varying rates depending on how they pay and use the bridge. Regular fares for 2-axle cars for Marylanders with E-ZPass are $2.50. Commuters with E-ZPass pay $1.40. Without the transponder, Marylanders pay $4 and the video toll rate is $6. Vehicles with more axles or utility vehicles pay more.

Congestion pricing This idea would increase the cost of crossing the bridge at peak times and thus encourage drivers not to all crowd onto the bridge at the same time, for example on Friday afternoons and evenings in summer. Some drivers would choose to pay the higher toll, but others might wait until rush hour, theoretically improving traffic for everyone.

New York officials have recurring, recurring congestion pricing plans for part of downtown New York. The tolling infrastructure is in place, but New York Governor Kathy Hochul suddenly suspended the project earlier this year due to fears of “unintended consequences” like unfairly taxing working-class drivers. The plan is would be back on but with lower toll rates.

How will the State finance it?

If and when the state builds the new spans, it will be a massive project currently estimated at $8.4 billion.

The national transport department is currently facing a budget crisis due to rising costs and declining revenues, and it has a long list of priority projects, including the Baltimore Red Line light rail project.

The MDTA is partially insulated from this crisis, however, because it pays much of its own expenses — well, drivers pay for them with the money they spend on tolls. Toll revenue is directly reinvested in MDTA projects, giving the agency a strong, dedicated funding stream. The agency brought in more than $750 million in fiscal year 2023, according to agency documents.

A project of this scale would undoubtedly require federal assistance, hence the environmental review process. The MDTA could apply for a grant or funding package from the Federal Highway Administration, but that application would still take many years.

Where do things go from here?

The MDTA will present narrowed options for a future Bay Bridge at three upcoming public meetings.

• Virtual: Wednesday, December 4, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. baycrossingstudy.com
• In person: Anne Arundel County: Monday, December 9, 6-8 p.m., at Broadneck High School, 1265 Green Holly Drive, Annapolis
• In person: Queen Anne’s County: Wednesday, December 11, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Kent Island High School, 900 Love Point Road, Stevensville

The agency will then spend the next year working on a draft environmental impact study that will dissect all available options. They should be able to select a “preferred” alternative by next summer, then work with federal officials to reach a “record of decision” by November 2026 if all goes as planned.

Even with a ROD in hand, it would still be years before ground was broken. is broken on any new bridge, likely pushing its completion into the 2030s.