......Travel off-peak ... Thurs. before 2 p.m., Fri. before noon and after 10 p.m., Sat. before 7 a.m. and between 5 and 10 p.m., Sun. between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. and after 10 p.m., Labor Day Monday before 11 a.m. and after 10 p.m. ... www.traffic.maryland.gov...
1-877-BAYSPAN ...for current bridge traffic conditions
Maryland Transportation Authority
What's New
TRAVEL OFF-PEAK!
The times to travel during the peak-travel season are:
- Thursday before 2 p.m.
- Friday before noon and after 10 p.m.
- Saturday before 7 a.m. and between 5 and 10 p.m.
- Sunday between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. and after 10 p.m.
- Labor Day Monday before 11 a.m. and after 10 p.m.
E-MAIL ALERTS AVAILABLE
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2010 BAY GAMES AVAILABLE
Click here to download a copy of the Department of Natural Resources' 2010 Bay Game!
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN FOR THE
FORT McHENRY TUNNEL 5K RUN/WALK
Register today to participate in the Fort McHenry Tunnel 5K Tunnel Run/Walk on September 19, 2010, and take advantage of a rare opportunity to walk/run through this unique venue! A $25 donation pre-registers you for the 5K; however, additional fundraising is encouraged to show your support of the thousands of Special Olympics Maryland athletes. For more information, visit www.tunnelrun.org.
BAY BRIDGE RE-DECKING REACHES FINAL MILESTONE
NOTE: This summer, other preservation/maintenance work and dismantling of the re-decking work zone will continue during scheduled off-peak daytime and overnight hours to minimize impacts.
The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) reports that crews successfully installed the last new deck segment of the Bay Bridge (US 50/301) Preservation Project on April 22, 2010. This marks the culmination of a long-term effort to extend the life of the bridge’s westbound span by re-decking the suspension-span and through-truss (where drivers see structural steel overhead) sections with 300 pre-cast concrete deck segments.
“This massive job has been completed successfully with the cooperation of commuters, neighboring communities, the citizen members of the Bay Bridge Reconstruction Advisory Group, contractors and the professional team at the MDTA,” said MDTA Chairman and Transportation Secretary Beverley K. Swaim-Staley.
Temporary steel roadway plates, which are needed to reopen the bridge following overnight construction, were removed from westbound travel lanes on May 2.
“I cannot be more pleased with the results of this project,” said MDTA Executive Secretary Ronald L. Freeland. “The bridge opened late to rush-hour traffic one time in more than two-and-a-half years of re-decking construction. In upcoming weeks, crews will continue finishing work, including deck grinding and grooving that will smooth out the ride for our motorists.”
The Bay Bridge Preservation Project began in December 2006 and is targeted for completion this fall. The new, full-depth roadway deck segments -- 144 suspension span and 156 through-truss segments -- along with new railing and overhead lane signals, spot painting and electrical upgrades comprise the preservation project.
Bay Bridge Preservation Project and Oyster Reef Project Videos Now Available
A video featuring the Bay Bridge Preservation Work currently underway on the westbound span's through-truss is now available. Click on "Explore the Bridge" and "Bay Bridge Preservation Project" or click here to view the video.
In addition, a video is available regarding the Asquith Creek Oyster Reef (see below for additional information on the project). Click here (Windows Media link) or click here (QuickTime link) to view the video. For a written transcript of this video, please click here.
PEREGRINE FALCONS AT THE BAY BRIDGE
The Bay Bridge is home to four peregrine falcon babies or "eyasses" -- three females and one male -- who were born in early May. After checking on the eyasses for the first time on May 12, 2009, Bay Bridge Maintenance Supervisory Gary McGuire and Craig Koppie from U.S. Fish and Wildlife visited the nesting box on May 27, 2009, determined the eyasses were healthy and banded them. The eyasses fledge the nest in late June/early July and stayed with their parents for another 45 days as they learned how to hunt. After that time, they left the area to look for a place of their own. The bridge's nesting pair will begin again shortly and lay eggs in late March/early April, for what is anticipated to be another healthy hatch in May 2010.
MARYLAND HONORED WITH EXEMPLARY ECOSYSTEM INITIATIVE AWARD
Unique Partnership Creates Oyster Habitat in Severn River
ANNAPOLIS, MD (August 19, 2009) – Governor Martin O’Malley today announced that the Federal Highway Administration has honored the Maryland Transportation Authority (MdTA), the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and numerous partners with the Exemplary Ecosystem Initiative Award for creating the Asquith Creek Oyster Reef in the Severn River last fall. The award recognizes the unique public-private partnership for sustainable transportation and environmental protection that is now providing an oyster sanctuary with the sole purpose of improving the quality of water flowing into the Chesapeake Bay.
“The Asquith Creek Oyster Reef project serves as a model of how diverse groups can work together on habitat restoration for enhanced ecological benefits at both the local and national level,” said Governor O’Malley. “This project is an excellent example of our Smart, Green & Growing initiative and our commitment to restoring the Bay for future generations of Maryland families and watermen who continue to keep Maryland’s rich heritage alive.”
The MdTA and DNR joined their partners, including the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Foundation, to create the three-acre oyster reef with four million juvenile oysters and demolished concrete from the Bay Bridge Preservation Project. The concrete was cleaned of all excess materials, inspected and ground into chunks about four to eight inches in size. Approximately 2,500 cubic yards of concrete rubble was hauled on barges to the reef site in the Severn River. Because the bridge concrete is a weathered and all-natural material with no accelerants used in its hardening, it was found to be oyster-friendly in replicating natural ecosystem conditions conducive to oyster growth.
The Asquith Creek Oyster Reef will serve as a sanctuary for oysters with no harvesting allowed to ensure the oysters will clean the Bay waters for years to come. This Smart, Green & Growing project was made possible through the collaborative effort of the following partners: MdTA, DNR, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Foundation, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Langenfelder Marine, Maryland Artificial Reef Initiative, Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus and Oyster Recovery Partnership.
Introduced by Governor Martin O’Malley in October 2008, Maryland’s Smart, Green & Growing initiative was created to strengthen the state’s leadership role in fostering smarter, more sustainable growth and in inspiring action among all Marylanders to achieve a more sustainable future. The initiative brings together state agencies, local governments, businesses and citizens to: create more livable communities, improve transportation options, reduce the state’s carbon footprint, support resource based industry, invest in green technologies, preserve valuable resource lands and restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay.
For more information on the Asquith Creek Oyster Reef, click here (Windows Media link) or click here (QuickTime link) to view a brief video about the project. For a written transcript of this video, please click here.
