Nighttime Closures Coming on Bay Bridge

Lane Restrictions To Begin Monday

Road crews plan to begin a project Monday night to strengthen the guardrails on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, continuing to resolve problems discovered in the aftermath of last summer's fatal crash on the structure that carries summer travelers to the Eastern Shore.

After a tractor-trailer barreled through a reinforced concrete barrier in August and plunged into the Chesapeake Bay, investigators using ultrasound and ground-penetrating radar discovered that some bolts attaching the concrete barriers to the bridge had corroded and others were in danger of doing so. The Maryland Transportation Authority installed L-shaped brackets at the bottom of the barriers as an emergency repair in August and September.

Now crews will replace that quick fix with sturdier, more permanent bolts drilled into the concrete. Guardrails will be moved behind parapets to improve durability in a crash. Aging overhead lane signals will be replaced.

The work will be done at night on the eastbound side of the bridge. That span is part of the original bridge that opened in 1952. During closures, both directions of traffic will share the westbound span.

Officials say they will try to minimize delays for drivers. If engineers decide traffic volume is too heavy, for example, they might postpone closures. Or they might close one lane at 7 p.m. and the other at 10 p.m. Transit officials plan to reopen the eastbound span by the morning rush every day.

No closures are planned over the July 4 holiday weekend.

MTA spokeswoman Kelly Melhem declined to give a completion date or project cost, saying that bad weather and heavy traffic could delay work.

The fixes are part of a major renovation of the bridge. The authority put off summertime work on the projects on the westbound span (including refurbishing the barriers) partly so crews could strengthen the barriers on the eastbound side.

"It's quite a balancing act to coordinate all the preservation work that needs to be accomplished at the bridge," Melhem said.

Drivers can check http://www.baybridge.com or call 877-BAYSPAN (229-7726) for updates on lane closures.