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Maryland picks an 8-lane Bay Bridge replacement—now comes the hard part: paying, permitting, and surviving NEPA

Maryland picks an 8-lane Bay Bridge replacement—now comes the hard part: paying, permitting, and surviving NEPA

Built World
By Newzino Staff |

Alternative C becomes the state’s preferred path to replace the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, but federal sign-off and backlash risks remain.

November 30th, 2026: The federal go/no-go moment

Overview

Maryland just took the most consequential step in a decade-long fight over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge: it picked a specific build option to replace it. The Maryland Transportation Authority Board approved “Alternative C,” an eight-lane crossing plan that would build two new four-lane spans and eventually remove the existing bridge spans.

This isn’t a construction start. It’s a bet—on traffic growth, on tolerance for toll-financed megaprojects, and on the idea that a wider, taller bridge is the only politically survivable answer to congestion and safety scares. From here, the story becomes a grind of federal concurrence, environmental review, and financing choices that will decide whether this plan becomes a landmark project—or another forever-bridge.

Key Indicators

$14.8B–$16.4B
Recent public cost estimate range (reported)
Estimates are preliminary and have risen as clearance and design assumptions changed.
8 lanes
Planned capacity across the Bay under Alternative C
Two new four-lane spans with shoulders, replacing today’s five-lane setup.
2032
Earliest anticipated construction start (MDTA schedule)
Design would follow a 2026 federal Record of Decision, if funding holds.
~80,000/day
Approximate daily vehicles using the Bay Bridge (reported)
A baseline figure driving the state’s congestion and reliability argument.

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Debate Arena

Two rounds, two personas, one winner. You set the crossfire.

People Involved

Samantha J. Biddle
Samantha J. Biddle
Acting Secretary, Maryland Department of Transportation; MDTA Board chair (by role) (Publicly backing Alternative C as the least-impactful build option)
Bruce Gartner
Bruce Gartner
Executive Director, Maryland Transportation Authority (Driving the project through NEPA milestones and interagency concurrence)
Melissa Williams
Melissa Williams
Director, MDTA Division of Planning & Program Development (Key planner and spokesperson explaining design choices and cost drivers)
Larry Hogan
Larry Hogan
Former Governor of Maryland (No longer in office; launched Tier 2 study framework)

Organizations Involved

Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA)
Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA)
State toll agency
Status: Project sponsor selecting and advancing Alternative C through NEPA and financing

Maryland’s toll-financed owner-operator of the Bay Bridge, leading the replacement plan and its federal environmental review.

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
Federal agency
Status: Federal decision-maker for NEPA concurrence and Record of Decision

The federal gatekeeper whose NEPA approvals determine whether Maryland’s preferred option can legally proceed.

United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
Federal Agency
Status: Navigation-clearance stakeholder influencing bridge height and design constraints

The maritime authority whose clearance expectations and bridge permitting shape how tall the new crossing must be.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Federal agency
Status: Likely permitting and concurrence role for water impacts under NEPA timeline

A core federal reviewer for in-water work, dredging, and habitat impacts tied to bridge construction.

Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE)
Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE)
State agency
Status: State environmental regulator and NEPA partner reviewer

Maryland’s environmental regulator weighing water quality and ecosystem impacts tied to a wider bridge.

Timeline

  1. The federal go/no-go moment

    Forecast

    MDTA anticipates a Final EIS and Record of Decision—critical for moving into procurement, design, and financing.

  2. Public hearings expected to test the plan’s political durability

    Forecast

    Public hearings are scheduled, likely surfacing the fiercest disputes on growth, tolls, and Bay impacts.

  3. Draft EIS expected to land—public comment begins

    Forecast

    MDTA expects to release the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and open a formal comment period.

  4. Board votes: Alternative C becomes Maryland’s preferred path

    Decision

    The MDTA Board approves Alternative C as the recommended preferred alternative, advancing the project deeper into NEPA.

  5. MDTA staff tees up “Alternative C”

    Recommendation

    MDTA announces its recommended preferred alternative: two new four-lane spans, existing spans removed.

  6. Seven alternatives go public

    Public Engagement

    MDTA presents the No-Build option and six build alternatives at December 2024 open houses.

  7. Tier 2 launches: alignments and build options enter the ring

    Planning

    Maryland launches the Tier 2 NEPA study to pick specific alignments and crossing concepts within Corridor 7.

  8. FHWA selects Corridor 7: stay near the existing bridge

    Decision

    Federal approval of the Tier 1 FEIS/ROD locks the project into the corridor containing today’s Bay Bridge.

  9. Draft EIS drops for Tier 1 corridors

    NEPA

    MDTA posts the Tier 1 Draft Environmental Impact Statement for public review and comment.

  10. Tier 1 NEPA formal scoping ramps up

    NEPA

    The Tier 1 process solidifies as a federally structured study, teeing up corridor selection.

  11. Maryland kicks off modern Bay Bridge crossing push

    Planning

    MDTA begins the Tier 1 Bay Crossing Study era, setting up years of corridor fights and alternatives screening.

Scenarios

1

FHWA Signs Off in 2026, Maryland Breaks Ground in 2032

Discussed by: MDTA schedule documents; regional reporting describing the 2026 ROD and 2032 construction target

The Draft EIS lands in January 2026, hearings follow in February, and agencies concur in spring. FHWA issues a Tier 2 Record of Decision around November 2026, unlocking procurement and design. Funding holds together via toll revenue bonding and staged contracting, and the project reaches a construction start around summer 2032—still with cost noise, but not fatal delays.

2

Sticker Shock Forces a Rethink: Phased Build, Toll Changes, or a Slower Timeline

Discussed by: Washington Post reporting on cost escalation and toll-policy decisions; ongoing debate among transportation finance observers

As cost estimates harden and local opposition organizes, Maryland reopens questions it tried to avoid: congestion pricing, higher tolls, or toll-financed express lanes. The state may phase construction, trim scope (including delaying a bike/ped path), or stretch the schedule past 2032 to reduce annual financing pressure—turning the project into a longer, politically fragile build-out rather than a clean replacement sprint.

3

Environmental and Growth Backlash Triggers Litigation, Forcing Bigger Mitigation or a Different Design

Discussed by: Environmental concerns cited in major coverage; standard NEPA litigation dynamics for mega-bridges in sensitive waters

Opponents shift from “which alternative” to “stop the induced impacts”: wastewater, runoff, habitat disruption, and greenhouse gas emissions tied to expanded capacity. Lawsuits or permitting resistance don’t have to win outright to change the project—they can force years of delay, expensive mitigation packages, or design constraints that drive costs higher and narrow Maryland’s room to maneuver.

Historical Context

Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge (Tappan Zee Replacement)

2013–2018 (opening), 2017–2019 (old bridge demolition)

What Happened

New York replaced an aging, congested Hudson River crossing that lacked breakdown lanes and couldn’t be widened. Traffic moved to the new bridge in 2017, and the old Tappan Zee was dismantled soon after under strict environmental controls.

Outcome

Short Term

A safer, higher-capacity crossing opened while demolition proceeded in stages.

Long Term

The replacement normalized the idea that major bridges can be rebuilt beside the old one—then removed.

Why It's Relevant Today

It’s a blueprint for Maryland’s “build next to it, then take it down” strategy—and its risks.

San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge East Span Replacement

2002–2013 (build), 2013–2018 (demolition and cleanup)

What Happened

California replaced a vulnerable bridge segment after seismic failures exposed deeper structural risk. The project became a case study in how design changes, schedule slippage, and complexity can blow up early cost estimates.

Outcome

Short Term

A new span opened in 2013, restoring confidence and resilience.

Long Term

Cost escalation became the defining political lesson—early estimates weren’t reality.

Why It's Relevant Today

Maryland’s cost jump is exactly the kind of story this precedent warns readers to expect.

Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement (Long Beach International Gateway)

2013–2020

What Happened

A port access bridge was replaced with a taller structure to handle larger cargo ships, adding shoulders and safety upgrades while keeping traffic moving during construction.

Outcome

Short Term

The new bridge opened with significantly higher clearance for shipping.

Long Term

It cemented “ship clearance drives bridge geometry drives cost” as a modern infrastructure reality.

Why It's Relevant Today

Maryland’s push for higher clearance after recent maritime risk scares fits this same cost-and-geometry logic.

12 Sources:
+6
MDTA Bay Crossing Study Maryland Transportation Authority The Washington Post Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge (NY.gov project site) Wikipedia U.S. Department of Transportation (Build America Bureau) National Transportation Safety Board MDTA Bay Crossing Study Maryland Transportation Authority Maryland Transportation Authority Maryland Transportation Authority MDTA Bay Crossing Study