Chesapeake Bay Bridge

About Chesapeake Bay Bridge

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge (commonly known as the Bay Bridge) is a major dual-span bridge in the U.S. state of Maryland. Spanning the Chesapeake Bay, it connects the state's rural Eastern Shore region with the urban Western Shore. The original span opened in 1952 and at the time, with a length of 4.3 miles (7 km), was the world's longest continuous over-water steel structure. A parallel span was added in 1973 giving rise to the bridge's current dual-span nature. The bridge is officially named the William Preston Lane, Jr. Memorial Bridge after William Preston Lane, Jr. who, as governor of Maryland, initiated its construction.

The bridge is part of U.S. Routes 50 and 301, and serves as a vital link in both routes. As part of U.S. Route 50, it connects the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area with tourist destinations such as Ocean City, Maryland, Delaware's ocean resorts, Assateague Island, and Chincoteague, Virginia. As part of U.S. Route 301, it serves as part of an alternate route for Interstate 95 travelers between northern Delaware and the Washington, D.C. area. Because of this, the bridge is heavily traveled and has become known as a point of traffic congestion, particularly during peak hours.

Studies exploring the possibility of building a bridge across the Chesapeake Bay may have been conducted as early as the 1880s. The first known proposal came about in 1907 and called for a crossing between Baltimore and Tolchester Beach; other proposals, occurring in the years 1918, 1919, 1926, and 1935, also called for a bridge in this location. In 1927, local businessmen were authorized to finance the construction of a Baltimore-Tolchester Beach crossing. Plans for the new bridge were made, but construction was canceled following the Stock Market Crash of 1929.