Chesapeake Bay | Maryland, Island, Map, Bridge, & Facts (2024)

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What are some fun facts about the Chesapeake Bay Bridge? ›

The original bridge span was 4.3 miles long and was the world's longest continuous over-water steel structure. The original span opened in 1952 while the parallel span was added in 1973.

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge begins in Sandy Point, Maryland, and connects Stevensville, Maryland. The bridge spans 4.3 miles in total and is a dual-span steel suspension bridge.

William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge (informally called the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and, locally, the Bay Bridge) is a major dual-span bridge in the U.S. state of Maryland.

Opened back in 1956, it spans 23.8 miles. and takes about 30 minutes to cross without traffic. It's free to drive over when heading north, but the return trip requires a six dollar toll.

Considered a “lifeline” bridge, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge is built to withstand a major earthquake or other natural disaster.

The depth of the water ranges from 25 to 100 feet, according to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission. Before the structure was built, 50 to 60 cars at a time would drive up onto ferries, which would carry them across the water, with the Chesapeake Bay to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.

The bridge-tunnel was built over 3 1/2 years through a joint venture with four contractors, including project leader Tidewater Construction Corporation – a forerunner to Skanska. Sverdrup and Parcel, Consulting Engineers, designed the project.

Both spans are 186 feet at their highest points, which is high enough to allow ocean-going vessels and ships to pass. The curve near the western side of the bridge was built so that the main spans cross the bay's shipping channels at 90 degrees, a requirement of the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

From the mainland, the CBBT extends U.S. highway Route 13 over the water with a pair of two-lane bridges. After a few miles, the bridges connect and dip underground into a small manmade island and tunnel to allow the passage of ships on the bay.

Mission Impossible III

This scene was filmed on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge tunnel. In the movie you can see the bridge overlooking the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

How many tunnels are on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge? ›

Construction of the span required undertaking a project of more than 12 miles of low-level trestles, two one-mile tunnels, two bridges, almost 2 miles of causeway, four manmade islands and 5.5 miles of approach roads, totaling 23 miles.

Traffic Holds/Bridge Closure (sustained wind speeds exceeding 55 mph for a continuous period of 10 mins or more; or wind gusts persistently exceed 55 mph over a period of 15 mins) In the event of a sudden increase of sustained wind speeds or wind gusts that could jeopardize life or property, the MDTA may elect to ...

Among the key features of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel are two one-mile (1.6 km) tunnels beneath the Thimble Shoals and Chesapeake navigation channels and two pairs of side-by-side high-level bridges over two other navigation channels: North Channel Bridge (75 ft or 22.9 m clearance) and Fisherman Inlet Bridge (40 ...

For over two decades, bridge drive-over service Kent Island Express has been taking over the wheel to make the crossing. For $40 in cash or $50 in credit, a Kent Island Express driver will meet you before the bridge entrance, get in the driver's seat, and take you over the bridge.

Chesapeake contains more miles of deepwater canals than any other city in the country and welcomes 10,000+ boats per year as they traverse the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway between Florida and Maine.

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge was named for William Preston Lane, Jr. (1892-1967), who served as governor of Maryland from 1947 to 1951. Thomas J. Hatem Memorial Bridge (US 40).

Some 35 million years ago, a bolide (an object similar to a meteor or comet) struck the present-day Delmarva Peninsula, creating a 55-mile-wide crater. The depression created by the crater changed the course of rivers and determined the location of the Chesapeake Bay.

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel is the longest bridge-tunnel complex in the world and is considered one of the Seven Engineering Wonders of the Modern World. There is a scenic overlook at the northern end of the bridge-tunnel where you can take photos or enjoy the view. The bridge-tunnel is open to birders!