Traffic & Transit
Bay Bridge Drivers Warned Earlier Of Lane Closures Thanks To New Signs, Gates
Traffic control on the Bay Bridge has been updated with new signs and swinging gates to alert drivers sooner of closures.
ANNAPOLIS, MD — Additional signs and automated swinging gates will alert drivers of lane closures miles before they reach the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.
Officials hope these improvements, which debut Monday, will make two-way operations safer and easier to navigate.
On the Western Shore, overhead signals will start alerting eastbound drivers about the upcoming traffic pattern 2.5 miles before they reach the Bay Bridge. That's the most notice that drivers have ever had.
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These signs along eastbound U.S. Route 50/301 will also use the state's first full-color lane-use control signals.
A green downward arrow means the lane is open. A yellow "X" shows that the lane is closed ahead and that drivers should start to merge now. A red "X" denotes that the lane is currently closed.
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These changes will replace the manual cone redirection that highway workers have used for years.
Officials think this automated alternative is safer. Planners also said the automation will improve emergency responses by closing lanes quicker.
The Maryland Transportation Authority started phasing in the controls in November 2022. They first debuted on the Eastern Shore's westbound bridge approach heading from Kent Island toward Annapolis.
“While we know we will continue to have recurring congestion from traffic volumes exceeding the capacity of the bridge, we’re excited to see the safety benefits from the new closure system,” Maryland Transportation Authority Executive Director William Pines said in a press release. “We expect the additional information provided as part of the new system will help motorists avoid getting into incidents that further exacerbate the Bay Bridge traffic challenge.”
Crews will still place traffic cones alongside the swinging gates while drivers get used to the automated lane closures. Workers will eventually remove the cones and rely fully on the automated system.
The Transportation Authority warned drivers that police will enforce these lane closures.
Drivers can learn more and see a video simulation of the automated closures at this link.
Bay Bridge Traffic
This is the latest effort to improve traffic on and around the Bay Bridge, which is one of Maryland's most congested bottlenecks.
By 2040, traffic is projected to grow by 22 percent on non-summer weekdays and 14 percent on summer weekends.
The state has previously implemented cashless video tolling and tested a temporary traffic light to control flow from a nearby highway entrance ramp.
Officials are also considering whether to build a third span of the Bay Bridge near the existing two crossings.
Maryland is currently conducting the second phase of an environmental and traffic analysis. This study is weighing whether it is best to build a third span or continue with the current crossings.
This $28 million review started last June. It will take 4 or 5 years to complete.
The design of a potential third span could only begin after federal highway officials accept this report.
To learn more about this process, read Patch's latest coverage of the study.
Drivers should also anticipate off-peak lane closures starting this fall as crews replace the deck, or the roadway, of the eastbound span. Officials expect to finish the $140 million project in the winter spanning late 2025 and early 2026.
Our story outlining this construction is posted here.
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