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Chesapeake Bay Bridge To Last Another Fifty Years

bay dreaming

BALTIMORE (AP) - Maryland transportation officials say the Chesapeake Bay Bridge should be able to handle traffic for another half century.

Officials said Thursday that a bridge life cycle cost analysis has confirmed that the twin spans of the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge are in satisfactory condition and, with anticipated preservation and maintenance, can be maintained safely through 2065.

By that time, the eastbound span will be 113 years old, and the westbound span will be 92 years old. Officials say that beyond 2065, it is difficult to project what rehabilitation and maintenance would be required to keep the bridges in fair or better condition.

The Maryland Transportation Authority says the life cycle study identified deck and superstructure replacement, painting, and cable replacement as some of the anticipated preservation needs.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.