I attended the Broadneck Council of Communities quarterly meeting, with an update on the Tier 2 NEPA study, a federally required study before a replacement bridge can be pursued.
Some highlights:
The state is looking at complete replacement of both bridge spans, either keeping the approach lane numbers the same or increasing the east and west bound approaches by 1 lane each, making East and west approaches 4 lanes wide.
Ample shoulder lanes on both spans are preferred to accommodate traffic incidents (accidents and stalled vehicles).
A shared use pedestrian/biker lane, similar to what is
on the Woodrow Wilson bridge, is also under strong consideration.
The state will be making its preferred recommendation this fall, with public feedback opportunities, so please be on the lookout for that information.
Curious how two new spans could be constructed with little impact to existing traffic flow? See the video in my comments on two possible construction scenarios.
In a most expedited time frame, the earliest any construction would begin would be 2032, but the procurement process is long and the funding is in the billions, so it's very likely construction won’t start until a later time (year). It will be the largest infrastructure project in state history.
More information can be found at the link below.
