Chesapeake Bay Bridge

Chesapeake Bay Bridge
Both spans of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge as seen from Sandy Point State Park, 2011
Coordinates	38°59′30″N 76°22′20″W / 38.99167°N 76.37222°W / 38.99167; -76.37222
Carries	5 lanes of US 50 / US 301
Crosses	Chesapeake Bay
Locale	Anne Arundel and Queen Anne's Counties, Maryland
Official name	Gov. William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge
Other name(s)	"Bay Bridge"
Maintained by	Maryland Transportation Authority, State of Maryland
ID number	AAZ050[1][2]
Website	baybridge.maryland.gov
Characteristics
Design	Cantilever bridge (eastbound), Continuous truss bridge (westbound), and Suspension bridges (both spans)
Material	Steel, concrete
Total length	21,273 ft (6,484.0 m) (eastbound) 21,047 ft (6,415.1 m) (westbound)
Width	28 ft (8.5 m) (eastbound) 38 ft (11.6 m) (westbound)
Height	354 ft (107.9 m) (eastbound) 379 ft (115.5 m) (westbound)
Longest span	1,600 ft (488 m)
Clearance below	186 ft (56.7 m)
History
Opened	July 30, 1952 (eastbound) June 28, 1973 (westbound)
Statistics
Daily traffic	61,000
Toll	$4.00 (eastbound only)
Location

The Gov. William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge (informally called the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and, locally, 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 its urban and suburban Western Shore, running between Stevensville and Sandy Point State Park near the capital city of Annapolis. The original span, opened in 1952 and with a length of 4 miles (6.4 km), was the world's longest continuous over-water steel structure. The parallel span was added in 1973. The bridge is named for William Preston Lane Jr., who as the 52nd Governor of Maryland launched its construction in the late 1940s after decades of political indecision and public controversy.

The bridge is part of U.S. Route 50 (US 50) and US 301, and serves as a vital link in both routes. As part of cross-country US 50, it connects the Baltimore–Washington Metropolitan Area with Ocean City, Maryland, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and other coastal tourist destinations. As part of US 301, it serves as part of an alternative route for Interstate 95 travelers, between northern Delaware and the Washington, D.C., area. The bridge is busy and often congested with traffic, particularly during peak hours and summer months.

The bridge's role in transportation was filled by ferries before the first span's construction. The bridge has fostered the state's economic growth, particularly of Queen Anne's County and Ocean City. Further expansion of the bridge has been discussed since 2004, with a task force being formed to investigate the possibility of building a third span.

The bridge is often confused with the Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel, a bridge–tunnel linking the Eastern Shore of Virginia with the Hampton Roads region and the rest of Virginia.^{[citation needed]}