All lanes on Chesapeake Bay Bridge will open this summer, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan recently announced.
Electronic tolling has already gone live, and deck work on the westbound right lane will be completed a year ahead of schedule.
Hogan directed the Maryland Transportation Authority in October to expedite the schedule for implementing all-electronic tolling and the deck rehabilitation project.
Deck rehabilitation began in September following more than a decade of deferred maintenance. The westbound right lane surface was severely deteriorated.
Upcoming work on the westbound span includes taking down barriers, replacing steel rail posts, repairing deck punctures, replacing joints, restriping lanes, installation of the new eastbound tolling gantry between the bridge and Maryland 8, and finishing the latex modified concrete in the right lane.
All-electronic tolling works by using E-ZPass or video tolling as motorists travel under overhead gantries. Vehicles do not need to stop to pay tolls. The systems are considered safer for motorists and road employees and decrease congestion and emissions while improving fuel efficiency.
In 2015, Hogan cut tolls statewide and eliminated the $1.50 E-ZPass monthly account fee, and in 2018, Hogan made E-ZPass transponders free.
In July, Hogan announced additional toll reductions, totaling up to $344 million in savings for drivers.