(Photo: WBOC)STEVENSVILLE, Md.- The Maryland Transportation Authority is considering placing safety barriers on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge when there is two-way traffic.
Roxanne Hollis of Centreville, Md., uses the bridge every week. She said barriers between lanes would make people feel more comfortable.
"I think it would be safer for traveling and a lot of people are afraid of the Bay Bridge so I think that barrier would give them a little more security that they are not going to run off the side or something," said Hollis.
Many people are happy that the state is putting safety first, but one of the pitfalls of putting barriers on the bridge is the potential to make the lanes more narrow.
The MdTA said the idea of barriers is not without disadvantages. They are also looking into how the weight of the concrete barriers across the 4-and-1/2 mile span will affect the structure of the bridge.
Earl Wilmer of Centreville said the extra weight and loss of lane width could do more harm than good.
"Both would be a concern because if they put the barriers up there, you got the weight and then you got the lane size that's cut down. So both are a concern," said Wilmer.
Bill Futrell of Grasonville, Md., has seen a ton of bad accidents on the bridge over the years. He likes the idea of barriers between on-coming traffic just as long as the bridge remains stable.
"It seems like it could be safer if the structure of the bridge handles the weight," said Futrell.
At this time the MdTA has not made a decision on the barriers and no timetable has been set.
