Chesapeake Bay Bridge
 (Governor William Preston Lane, Jr. Memorial Bridge)

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Fast Facts

Click on any picture on this page to see a larger version.
[old postcard (1950s) showing an arial view of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge] [arial view of the Chesapeake Bay Bridges]
This is the way the Chesapeake Bay Bridge looked in the 1950s, just after it was built. There was only one bridge at that time. This is the way the Chesapeake Bay Bridge looks today. The traffic increased so much that a second bridge had to be built next to the first one.

[Chesapeake Bay Bridges]
    [bullet]Traffic Capacity (both spans): 1,500 vehicles per lane, per hour

    [bullet] Estimated Traffic

      [bullet]1952: 1.1 million vehicles each year
      [bullet]      1961: 1.5 million vehicles each year
      [bullet]      1996: 20.5 million vehicles each year

    [bullet]    Construction Start Dates
      [bullet]Eastbound span: November 1949
      [bullet] Westbound span: May 1969

    [bullet]     Opening Dates
      [bullet]Eastbound span: July 30, 1952
      [bullet] Westbound span: June 28, 1973

    [bullet]     Cost
      [bullet]Eastbound span: $45 million
      [bullet]      Westbound span: $148 million

    [bullet]     Location : Two-span bridge between Sandy Point and Stevensville, Maryland

    [bullet] Overall Lengths :

      [bullet]Shore to shore including causeway: 4.35 miles (eastbound); 4.33 miles (westbound)
      [bullet] Bridge structure: 4.03 miles (eastbound); 3.99 miles (westbound)

      There is no larger image of this picture.
      [bullet]       Vertical clearance : 186'

      [bullet] HEIGHT of suspension bridge towers :

        [bullet]Eastbound span: 354'
        [bullet] Westbound span: 379'
      Have you thought about taking part in the Bridge Walk?
      Photo by Scott M. Kozel
       Check his site for LOTS of information about the bridge.
      [Walk across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge]

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      [Chesapeake Bay Bridges]

      Thanks to the Maryland Transportation Authority for the information and the middle 2 photos used on this page. The first photo is courtesy of the State of Maryland, State photographer.