The Maryland Transportation Authority Board meets December 18, 2025, at 9 a.m. to vote on staff’s recommended preferred alternative for replacing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge as part of the Tier 2 National Environmental Policy Act study.
Known as Alternative C, the proposal calls for building two new four-lane bridge spans with full shoulders alongside removing the existing parallel spans of the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge, which carry US 50/301 across the bay between Anne Arundel and Queen Anne’s counties.
“This recommendation is an exciting step that moves us closer to a Bay crossing that provides a smoother travel experience for those who drive over the bridge and the Marylanders who live by it,” said Maryland Department of Transportation Acting Secretary Samantha J. Biddle. “Alternative C is the option that best supports Marylanders’ current and future daily travel needs with the least environmental impact on our treasured Chesapeake Bay.”
Alternative C emerged from engineering reviews, environmental analyses, public input, and coordination with partners. Key elements include enhanced safety through wider lanes and shoulders, increased capacity for eight total lanes over the bay, and higher navigational clearance matching the new Francis Scott Key Bridge replacement to accommodate larger vessels accessing the Port of Baltimore.
The plan also involves widening US 50/301 to eight lanes from west of Oceanic Drive to east of Cox Creek for smoother transitions, financial support for transit improvements, and further evaluation of an optional shared-use path for bicycles and pedestrians.
“Alternative C best fulfills the study’s purpose and need while considering environmental and financial responsibility,” said MDTA Executive Director Bruce Gartner. “Of the build alternatives, it is the most cost-effective, impacts the least amount of natural, socio-economic and cultural resources. It would enhance safety with full shoulders and wider lanes, bring between $17 to $23 billion into the local economy, and create 61,300 to 75,600 jobs with 76% direct employment of construction workers.”
If advanced, Alternative C enters public review with the Draft Environmental Impact Statement release in late January 2026 and hearings in February 2026. Federal and state agencies, including the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Maryland Department of the Environment, review comments before potential concurrence in spring 2026. A combined Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision targets November 2026.
The existing dual spans, opened in 1952 and 1973, feature narrow lanes without full shoulders, contributing to congestion and safety concerns for the roughly 30 million annual vehicles, many heading to Eastern Shore destinations or Southern Maryland routes via connections in Anne Arundel County.
The Tier 2 study, launched in June 2022 after Tier 1 selected the existing corridor in 2022, narrowed from numerous options to seven alternatives presented publicly in late 2024, including no-build and various build configurations. NEPA requires detailed impact assessments for projects involving federal approvals or funding.
Pending funding and approvals, procurement for design follows the record of decision, with final design in spring 2028 and construction starting summer 2032. The process allows phased building—potentially one new span first—while maintaining traffic on existing structures until demolition.
Details and updates remain available at the study website https://www.baycrossingstudy.com.