Bay Bridge At Higher Risk Of Ship Strike, Safety Improvements Planned

ANNAPOLIS, MD — The Chesapeake Bay Bridge doesn't meet the risk threshold for ship collisions for new bridges, officials announced Monday. The operator of the Bay Bridge outlined plans to reduce the risk of a vessel crash in the wake of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore.

The National Transportation Safety Board last month ordered a risk of collapse evaluation on the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bay Bridge near Annapolis. The Bay Bridge was among 68 bridges nationwide that received NTSB orders for a second look.

Though the Bay Bridge falls short of requirements for new bridges, it still meets the criteria of its federal permit and does not legally require remediation. The bridge was built to the appropriate standards when the eastbound span was erected in 1951 and its westbound counterpart was constructed in 1973. The designation means the crossing wouldn't meet the standards for new bridges built in 2025.

The Maryland Transportation Authority, which owns the Bay Bridge, said it will implement short- and long-term solutions like "bridge operational restrictions, regulatory requirements for vessel transits under the Bay Bridges, and physical protection measures."

"Short-term strategies may include: communication protocols for vessel pilots, reduced vessel speeds, one-way transits, and methods to manage vehicular traffic on the bridge," the MDTA said in a press release. "Long-term strategies may include: physical protection measures such as dolphins and pier fenders."

Related:

• MD Studied Bay Bridge Vulnerability After Key Bridge Disaster: Report
• Bay Bridge At High Risk Of Collapse If Hit By Ship, New Study Shows
• 'Risk Of Collapse' Evaluation Ordered For Chesapeake Bay Bridge

The Bay Bridge is the nation's 12th-most susceptible to ship strikes, said a March study from Johns Hopkins University. Researchers estimated that a collision is expected once every 86 years.

At four miles, the spans are among the world's longest and most scenic over-water structures. In its most recent posting, the state said that 27.6 million vehicles used the bridge in 2019.

In the last decade, Maryland has invested more than $175 million in Bay Bridge safety and security infrastructure.

The MDTA initiated a $160 million project in the spring of 2024 to evaluate and study Bay Bridge protections. The project’s operational recommendation and evaluation phase is complete, and the study/concept development phase has concluded.

The Maryland Department of Transportation hired the consulting firm Moffatt & Nichol, a nationally recognized company for their expertise regarding vessel collision design of bridges, to conduct the $600,000 study phase of the project through an existing contract with MDTA.

Now that the study phase is complete, the MDTA will advance the project into design this summer. Procurement methods and a timeline for the project are being determined.

The MDTA is simultaneously evaluating a potential Bay Bridge replacement. The state is considering tearing down the existing two spans and replacing them with two wider spans. This proposal is still being studied and is years away from a potential design and groundbreaking.

"The MDTA is performing this project at the same time it is studying the potential replacement of the existing Bay Bridge spans as part of the MDTA’s Bay Crossing Study. As such, the MDTA will be sure not to preclude a future project to replace the existing spans," the press release said.

Related: Bay Bridge Replacement: Could New Crossing Have 10 Lanes Split Between 2 Spans?