The existing, two-lane bridge will be replaced with a new 1.9-mile by 61-foot-wide, four-lane structure, and will include roadway realignment and construction of approximately 0.5 miles on either side of the bridge. The improved span will have four 12-foot-wide driving lanes with two-foot shoulders, and the new height will accommodate tall vessels. It will also utilize an All-Electronic Tolling system. Once the new bridge and roadway construction is complete, the existing bridge will be demolished and some of it will be used to create artificial reefs in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
“The new bridge will be a dramatic improvement to the current two lane bridge and will allow for better traffic flow,” said Wade Watson, Project Director and Vice President of Operations for Skanska USA Civil. “We, alongside our joint venture partners, are honored to collaborate with the MDTA, and build an advanced bridge that will serve the community.”
The project is one of the state’s largest transportation initiatives and will improve mobility, safety and economic opportunities for southern Maryland, northeastern Virginia and the region. It will create more than 500 local job opportunities. The bridge will have a 100-year service life. Construction will begin March 2020, with the new bridge expected to open by 2023. Project completion is scheduled for December 2024.
