The Maryland Transportation Authority will host three Open House events in September for the Chesapeake Bay Crossing Study: Tier 2, as part of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. The agency, in coordination with the Federal Highway Administration, is following the well-established and federally required NEPA process to study potential alternatives to provide congestion relief and improve travel reliability, mobility and safety across the Chesapeake Bay. The NEPA process applies to all projects receiving federal funding or approval.
The following are the dates and times for each Open House:
- Anne Arundel County Open House
Thursday, September 7, 6-8 p.m.
Broadneck High School
1265 Green Holly Dr., Annapolis MD 21409
- Queen Anne’s County Open House
Tuesday, September 12, 6-8 p.m.
Kent Island American Legion Post 278
800 Romancoke Road, Stevensville MD 21666
- Virtual Open House
Thursday, September 14, 6-8 p.m.
There will be no formal presentation; however, the study team will be available to answer questions during the in-person and virtual events. Materials are available to review on the study website at baycrossingstudy.com. Individuals who require special accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act or who require translation services (free of charge) may contact the agency’s Title VI Officer at mdtaeeo@mdta.maryland.gov or at 410-537-6720 (711 for Maryland Relay) no later than 10 business days before the Open House they would like to attend.
The Tier 2 Study is focusing on an approximately 22-mile-long, two-mile-wide corridor that includes the existing Bay Bridge. The corridor, which extends from the Severn River Bridge to the US 50/US 301 split, was approved at the conclusion of the Tier 1 Study as the Selected Corridor Alternative by the Federal Highway Administration in its April 2022 Record of Decision. The Selected Corridor Alternative was found to:
- provide the most positive reduction of traffic and improve access and mobility at the Bay Bridge,
- potentially have lower overall environmental impacts due to the shorter Chesapeake Bay crossing length and ability to utilize existing on-land roadway infrastructure, and
- be more consistent with existing land-use patterns and plans on the Eastern Shore, potentially reducing pressure for new residential development and corresponding impacts to farmland and natural resources.
An additional consideration evaluated in Tier 2 is that a new crossing alternative in Corridor 7 provides the potential to reduce costs and traffic impacts from necessary maintenance of the existing bridges.
The Maryland Transportation Authority is committed to providing opportunities for inclusive and transparent stakeholder engagement to support an equitable transportation study and outcome. All interested parties are invited to attend the Tier 2 Study Open Houses to learn about the proposed Purpose and Need and alternatives development process and recommendations, to discuss the study with the agency’s team, and to provide comments.
The study team encourages the public to provide comments regarding the information and recommendations presented for the Open Houses by Monday, October 16. Comments may be submitted in multiple ways:
- submit a comment form at one of the in-person Open Houses;
- submit an electronic comment form at baycrossingstudy.com;
- email your comments to info@baycrossingstudy.com or
- print and mail a completed comment form to Bay Crossing Study, 2310 Broening Highway, Baltimore MD 21224.