New Study Will Determine If Bay Bridge Gets A 3rd Span

BALTIMORE (WJZ)—If you're beach-bound, it's going to be another agonizing season of Bay Bridge traffic. A new study is being conducted that may one day make it easier to get across that bridge.

Adam May explains.

Driving on that bridge was a nightmare for some residents at the start of Memorial Day Weekend. Now, many of them are saying enough is enough.

Traffic at the Bay Bridge could be so bad, the Burt family from D.C., who have an active toddler, is cutting back on trips to Ocean City.

"It used to not matter before we had a young kid, but now, stuck in traffic for a few hours is always very difficult," said the little girl's father.

This Memorial Day weekend, some travelers were delayed for hours.

"For travel, yeah, it was a horrible weekend, but for business it was great," said Alex Robinson.

Robinson drives the bridge thousands of times for people who are afraid to drive themselves.

He's glad the state just launched a new feasibility study to examine adding a third span.

"Just, you know, put it right between the two and slap that altogether. Think it'd do, it'd be great. It'd be just like the San Francisco Bridge. They put eight lanes on that thing," said Robertson.

Of course this is not the first time the state has looked into this issue. They did a similar study back in 2005, but nothing was done with the research.

The study will look at traffic patterns and environmental issues.

The cost is expected to exceed $3 million dollars.

"It's a lot of money, but it seems like it's a huge bottleneck because once you get to the other side, everyone seems to kind of dissipate in the traffic. It's not bad, so it might be a good investment for the Eastern Shore," said the Burt family.

The Eastern Shore families who battle traffic here all the time are skeptical.

"Maybe in her lifetime she can see it, but I doubt in ours" said one man, referring to his daughter.

The family often find it easier getting around on two wheels instead of four.

This is just the first step in a very long process. If they ever decide to build another expansion of the Bay Bridge, the construction alone will take at least a decade.

A new bridge would cost about $1 billion a mile.