35 Chesapeake Bay Bridge Facts About One Of 'America's Scariest Bridges'

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is the only bridge built over Chesapeake Bay.

Before the construction of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, people had to rely on ferry services to travel from one shore of the bay to another. The engineering of the bridge is considered to be quite modern.

The bridge connects the two shores as well as other areas of interest. It has contributed to the growth of communities on the eastern shore. Ocean City transformed from a small town to a significant city in Maryland due to the ease of access provided by the bridge from the western shore.

Read on to explore more interesting facts about this bridge.

The Location of Chesapeake Bay Bridge

Chesapeake Bay Bridge is known as just Bay Bridge by the people who live around it. Some facts about the location of the Bay Bridge are listed as follows.

This bridge is located in the state of Maryland, in the United States of America.

The bridge is off US Route 301 and US Route 51.

It was built to connect the eastern shore of Maryland with the western shore of the state.

The bridge also connects the metropolitan areas of Baltimore-Washington and Ocean City, MD, Delaware, Rehoboth Beach, and other tourist destinations along the coast.

The History Of Chesapeake Bay Bridge

For a long time, there were no bridges in Chesapeake Bay until the construction of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Facts about the history and origin of this bridge are mentioned below.

Around the year 1907, the first proposal for a bridge over Chesapeake Bay was put forth; however, it was abandoned.

Many more proposals for the bridge were discussed during the years 1915 to '30.

These proposals were rejected because there were already many ferries for the purpose of transportation.

Maryland passed legislation for the formal funding and building of the bridge in 1938, but construction could not start as America became involved with World War II.

It was only after the end of World War II in 1945 that William Preston Lane Jr. (Governor of Maryland at that time) officially started construction.

Due to the contribution and efforts of the governor of Maryland towards the construction of this bridge, it was named William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge.

It took around three-and-a-half years to build the bridge.

According to historical accounts, seven men lost their lives during the construction of the bridge.

Building the Bay Bridge proved to be difficult due to the unpredictable weather conditions of Chesapeake Bay. Hurricanes and nor'easters were major setbacks to the project.

The construction of the bridge started in 1949, and it was opened to the public in 1952.

Specifications And Features Of Chesapeake Bay Bridge

Chesapeake Bay Bridge is considered to be an excellent feat of engineering along with its tunnel. The unique characteristics of this bridge are mentioned as follows.

It is a steel suspension bridge of massive height.

The framework of the bridge is made of lightweight modern steel and a minimalistic design.

It was considered to be one of the longest bridges in 1952 that crossed over a water body.

The length of this bridge from the eastern shore to the western is 4.3 mi (6.9 km). The entirety of this length is above water.

In order to let ships pass underneath, the bridge has an elevation of around 62 yd (56.69 m).

The water at the Bay Bridge reaches a depth of about 25 ft - 100 ft (7.62 m - 30.48 m).

It is supported by tall steel towers and has a thin deck made of modern materials which are considered to be strong.

The bridge also has narrow lanes and low guardrails, and roads without full shoulders for support.

The double span of the Bay Bridge has specific names, which are 'eastbound span' and 'westbound span'.

When traffic is slow, incoming and outgoing traffic is handled separately by the eastbound span and the westbound span.

With high traffic congestion, these spans each have both incoming and outgoing traffic. The estimated amount of vehicles to cross the bridge in a day is more than 60,000.

The speed limit posted for the bridge is 55 mph (88.5 kph). Yet, it generally only takes around 30 minutes to cross it.

What is Chesapeake Bay Bridge famous for?

Many people find the Bay Bridge one of the scariest bridges in America, and certain aspects of the bridge make it quite famous.

The Bay Bridge acquired its image as one of the most fearsome bridges in America due to its high elevation as well as emergency pull-offs.

One of the unique features of this bridge is the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

While the construction of the northbound tunnel began in 1960, and opened to the public in 1964, the southbound tunnel was built later and was opened for public use in 1999.

The official name of this bridge-tunnel is Lucius J Kellam Jr. Bridge-Tunnel in honor of one of the local leaders who had made substantial efforts for its construction.

The Bay Bridge-Tunnel, with its marvelous engineering, has won awards for its architecture.

It is also a tourist attraction for people who visit the state of Maryland.

This bridge-tunnel also offers great locations for birdwatching.

There are rest areas constructed into artificial islands for people to stop, take a while to rest, and admire their surroundings.

The island rest area also has a fishing pier which is popular among fishers, and photographers who want to capture the image of the boats passing by.

People can admire the barges, sailboats, as well as Sandy Point State Park while crossing the bridge.