KENT ISLAND, Md. - Wednesday night the hearing was in Annapolis. Thursday, the hearings are on our side of the bridge.
On the weekends and during the summer months, "it's like being handcuffed to your home because of traffic," says one Kent Island resident.
In February of this year, the Maryland Department of Transportation recommended a third span be built next to the existing spans of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Originally, there were fourteen locations for a proposed third crossing. Ultimately, it has now dwindled down to three. Officials say Kent Island is an ideal location based on environmental impact.
In 1967, the second span of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge was authorized due to increasing traffic. The first span was opened for vehicles in 1952 after three and a half years of construction. In 2005, a study concluded traffic is likely to increase 40% by 2025. Only four years away. Which is why some in Kent Island say building a third span might be beneficial.
Kylah Waters says it might help people get to work sooner. Her boyfriend, Joseph Daniel Elburn, says, "it might help with rush hour and general traffic up and down the bridge."
Others in the area disagree with the pair. They believe the traffic increase is already there for Kent Island. Andy VanLew says he sees a third crossing, in the same spot as the other two, more of a problem rather an a solution.
"We're gridlocked on weekends. You're a prisoner in your own home. You can't go anywhere. It's terrible," VanLew says, "I don't understand how anybody could believe we could handle any more traffic. It's the infrastructure [it] can't handle more traffic."
VanLew crosses the bridge every day for work, albeit at off hours when there is less traffic. He believes a third crossing is needed, just not in Kent Island, saying "I think the sensible thing to do is put it somewhere else. It's going to be trouble no matter where it goes but if you could spread it out.. the amount of difficulty it's going to generate is going to be spread out. Therefore not as severe where it's at."
The Bay Bridge Crossing Study, which conducted the study in 2005 and the most recent in 2020, cost the state around $5 million.
In a statement to WBOC, a spokesperson with the Maryland Transportation Authority says:
"To clarify, the type of crossing has not been determined yet. If approved, the new crossing could be a bridge or a bridge/tunnel and consist of any number of spans (for example, one six-lane crossing or two three-lane crossings). We will determine the type and number of crossings in a future Tier 2 study, which is currently not funded.
We understand the significance of the Bay Bridge to the State and the broader mid-Atlantic region, and we recognize that once the bridges were constructed, Queen Anne’s County and most of the Eastern Shore, including Ocean City, went from difficult destinations to reach thriving, growing communities. The day-to-day negative effects of congestion at the Bay Bridge are substantial and are projected to worsen. To address this issue, in 2016, Governor Larry Hogan announced the start of the Tier 1 Bay Crossing Study for the purpose of addressing congestion on the Bay Bridge.
Just like many other parts of the State that see high volumes of traffic, like I-495, I-270, I-95, I-695 etc., there is simply too much traffic traveling over the Bay Bridge. Our analysis shows that without an additional crossing, by 2040 we will see seven hours of unacceptable level of service (LOS) per day on non-summer weekdays and 22 hours of unacceptable LOS per day on summer weekends. In 2040, there will be almost 17,000 additional vehicles per summer weekend day and almost 16,000 additional vehicles per non-summer weekday traveling over the Bay Bridge."
The public is available to comment on the Bay Crossing Study Tier 1 Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). Comments can be made via mail, on the project's website, orally through testimony or by emailing info@baycrossingstudy.com.
