On Oct 4, 2021 the Anne Arundel County Council, by a vote of 6-1, called for the State of Maryland to construct a replacement of the current two spans of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge with a single bridge in the same location.
The Resolution called for a minimum of eight travel lanes to provide adequate capacity and dependable and reliable travel times. Last week, Queen Anne's County passed Resolution No. 21.17, which aligns the two neighboring counties in this call to action.
“As the lead sponsor of the resolution, I feel confident that this is a significant moment for Anne Arundel County, a step toward traffic relief on our local roads so residents can move freely again. We have a capacity issue with two existing, aging bridges,” said Councilwoman Amanda Fiedler, representing District 5 where the western landing of the Bay Bridge is located. “A third span at the current location, or an alternate location will not fix traffic in the long term for either Anne Arundel or Queen Anne's County.”
Councilwoman Fiedler began working with community leaders and the Board of County Commissioners of Queen Anne's County to find common ground on a shared problem. “I am extremely proud of the work we've done to solve the concerns that plague residents on both shores. A full replacement gives the capacity to keep traffic moving, without delays for ongoing maintenance, weather events or emergencies,” Fiedler said.
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