Bay Bridge Eastbound Deck Replacement Project

On October 27, 2022, the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) Board approved a $140 million construction services contract for a portion of Phase 1 of the Eastbound Bay Bridge Deck Replacement project, which is expected to begin major construction in winter 2023/2024 with anticipated completion in spring 2025. Consistent with MDTA’s 2015 Bay Bridge Life Cycle Cost Analysis, the deck replacement in the deck truss spans is the first phase in a series of projects during the next several decades to maintain safe and working order conditions for the 71-year-old span. The timing of future phases and other projects will depend on available funding and bridge conditions.

Phase 1 of the Eastbound Bay Bridge Deck Replacement project will include the replacement of the deck floor system, barrier upgrades, structural rehabilitation of the steel superstructure, lane use signal gantry replacements and utility relocations, as well as off-site stormwater management work.

The MDTA has designed the project to ensure minimal traffic impacts for residents and motorists by avoiding 24/7 lane closures. The new pre-cast deck sections will be fabricated off-site and barged to the Bay Bridge. Marine-based equipment will be utilized to replace deck panels and minimize the use of lane closures for most deliveries, resulting in reduced traffic impacts.

Once work gets underway winter 2023/2024, construction on the first section of the eastbound deck replacement is expected to be completed in spring 2025, with additional sections to follow based on available funding and bridge conditions. The first section, on the Eastern Shore side of the eastbound span, is almost one mile of the overall 4.35-mile-long bridge. During construction, the project will utilize off-peak lane closures during the day to get work areas ready to ensure successful night work. The eastbound span will close at night, weather permitting, with two-way traffic in effect on the westbound span. Crews will remove at least one section of the deck and replace it with a new pre-cast section during the same overnight shift. Temporary closure mechanisms will secure the openings between panels, allowing the eastbound span to reopen to traffic each morning. Daytime crews will prepare the next deck section for removal by the overnight construction.

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