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Maryland Transportation Authority Seeks Comment On Third Bay Bridge Crossing

ANNAPOLIS (WJZ) -- Whether you like or dislike the long-debated idea of another crossing over the Chesapeake Bay seems to depend on whether you're stuck in traffic on the Bay Bridge heading to the Eastern Shore or are a resident of the Anne Arundel County communities near the bridge.

All the same, the Maryland Transportation Authority wants to hear from you. Officials held a meeting Wednesday to discuss four options being considered to alleviate congestion: through Pasadena, through Edgewater, through Annapolis near the existing bridge at Sandy Point, or not to do anything at all.

"On the weekends, it's a nightmare. Traffic on the Bay Bridge can be rough," said Bill Nevel, a member of the Broadneck Council of Communities.

Transportation officials believe a third span near the existing bridge would be the best way forward from an environmental standpoint, project manager Heather Lowe said.

Gov. Larry Hogan has said it's the only option he'll accept.

"It does a better job with congestion, reducing the hours of unacceptable service," Lowe said. "It would be a less expensive option."

The project is in the beginning phases, and if approved, could take up to five years to complete and cost anywhere from $5 billion to $13 billion.

But neighbors of the Broadneck Peninsula near the bridge say enough is enough and a new span would cause more issues.

"Nobody wants this in their back yard, so they're going to have to find something," said Pat Lynch, president of the Broadneck Council of Communities. "We have two of them. We've done this twice now. We don't want to have to do it again."

Transportation officials say public comment will be accepted until May 10. Another meeting will be held Thursday on the other side of the bridge on Kent Island.

Editor's Note: In an earlier version of this story, we reported the third span would be two miles long. It's the corridor that's two miles long. We don't know how long the third span would be. We've corrected this error. 

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