Westbound drive across America’s scariest bridge, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.
Filmed: December 2022
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From Wikipedia:
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge (also known locally as the Bay Bridge) is a major dual-span bridge in the U.S. state of Maryland. Spanning the Chesapeake Bay, it connects the state’s rural Eastern Shore region with the urban Western Shore, between Stevensville and the capital city of Annapolis. The original span, opened in 1952 and with a length of 4.3 miles (6.9 km), was the world’s longest continuous over-water steel structure. The parallel span was added in 1973. The bridge is officially named the Gov. William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge after William Preston Lane Jr. who, as the 52nd Governor of Maryland, initiated its construction in the late 1940s finally after decades of political indecision and public controversy.
The bridge is part of U.S. Route 50 (US 50) and US 301, and serves as a vital link in both routes. As part of cross-country US 50, it connects the Baltimore–Washington Metropolitan Area with Ocean City, Maryland, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and other coastal tourist resort destinations. As part of US 301, it serves as part of an alternative route for Interstate 95 travelers, between northern Delaware and the Washington, D.C., area. Because of this linkage, the bridge is busy and has become known as a point of traffic congestion, particularly during peak hours and summer months.
The bridge’s role in transportation was filled by ferries prior to the first span’s construction. An annual 10K run across the bridge has been organized on-and-off since 1975. The bridge’s economic impact on the areas it connects has been significant, with both Queen Anne’s County and Ocean City expanding significantly since the bridge’s construction. Future expansion of the bridge has been discussed since 2004, with a task force being formed to investigate the possibility of building a third span.
Because of similar names, it is often confused with the Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel, a bridge–tunnel linking the Eastern Shore of Virginia with the Hampton Roads region and the rest of Virginia.
20 Comments
It is a long and scary lookin bridge but doesn't look scary to me
it's huge and tall, and when there's a good cross breeze blowing, you think it's going to push you off into the water. yeah.
when we travel from the DC area to Virginia Beach, we'll usually detour by going east on this bridge (Chesapeake Bay Bridge), travel south though MD into VA and then go over/under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. much more fun than the old boring interstates. 🙂
also, sometimes when heading north to Delaware or beyond on a Friday evening when traffic is really bad on I-95, Google Maps will send me eastward, over this bridge, then north through MD and DE local roads before rejoining I-95 around Wilmington, DE. fun!
I saw a TV special on this bridge where some people are so scared to drive this bridge that they hire drivers to drive their car over this bridge.
This bridge is quite tall and with the breeze here you could be blown off to the side. But now that I think about it this bridge isn't so scary. The bridge in Virginia Beach is longer than this one though and has a panoramic view of Chesapeake Bay
I remember it being scary the times I crossed over it years ago. It doesn't look near as bad in the video though, but I assure you it is when you do it live. Also, what is the fascination with the name Anne and county names???
I can't imagine what this is like in the summer now. This was shot in Dec. and look how bad the traffic is on the other span!
lol my best friend is very religious and scared of heights.
He made me hold his various catholic charms while he white-knuckled it over the bridge on our way to OC
Can’t wait for the Automated Lane Closure System to be fully in place.
I remember back in 2004 or 5 I think, I was on vacation with my mom and we spent a day in Ocean City MD, first time I ever drove the bridge. I remember when we were heading back to Baltimore since we were staying there for a few days, it was summer and it was almost 6 when we left, I was driving at warp speed trying to get to the bridge before dark! It was a miracle I didn't get pulled over by MD state police that time. But you called it, THAT IS ONE SCARY BRIDGE to try crossing at night – NO JOKE!
As for the eastbound direction, the toll plaza was demolished and cash tolling has been abolished and even some bridges in the Eastern US have abolished cash tolling and toll plazas. Nowadays, cashless tolling and EZ-Pass on toll gantries replaced toll plazas.
It’s honestly a joke and laughable that people call this the scariest bridge around. I’m originally from Illinois and lived in Delaware 20 years now, driven over this a million times now just so I can get the hell outta Delmarva. It’s a wonder why people in Maryland and Delaware think Chicago is a suburb of Los Angeles…. It’s because they’re too scared to cross this pathetic bridge lol
Glad you crossed it WB with one lane heading EB. I was freaked out a bit when I crossed this bridge the first time with this configuration.
Reminds me a little of the old Sunshine Skyway Bridge south of Tampa that collapsed in 1980 when struck by a tanker (from videos I have seen).
I've been on it without the contraflow but the other Chesapeake Bay bridge-tunnel is worse.
Yes, you can’t be daydreaming when you cross, especially if on a single lane EB. Hope new MD Governor Wes Moore keeps things moving on a replacement bridge – hopefully as wide as the new Tappan Zee / Cuomo bridge, https://youtu.be/5pLPggFHmhU for MMT’s nice night crossing video.
I dont think its that scary, but im used to it, my grandma was from the great plains and drove on the bay bridge and was amazed
I have driven it both ways. Love it
Been on the bridge a few times and it’s scarier in person. 1st time my wife was driving and she was petrified of heights and there was no way to change position. Another time was when I was driving on the eastern span early morning in the fog. the sun decided to pop out so it was eye level though the fog.
That's no fun. Bad enough when everyone's going the same direction.