Chesapeake Bay Bridge

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The Chesapeake Bay Bridge (officially known as the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge, named after former Maryland governor William Preston Lane Jr.) crosses the Chesapeake Bay as part of US Rt. 50/Rt. 301 from Annapolis, Maryland to Kent Island, Maryland. The bridge's dual spans provide a direct connection between Maryland's Eastern Shore recreational and ocean regions and the metropolitan areas of Baltimore, Annapolis and Washington, D.C. The bridge also forms part of an alternative route from the Delaware Memorial Bridge to the nation's capital and has been the location of the Bay Bridge Walk for 28 years.

With a length of 4.3 miles, the bridges are among the world's longest and most-scenic over-water structures. The original span was built in 1952 and provides a two-lane roadway for eastbound traffic. The parallel structure opened in 1973 and has three lanes for westbound travelers. During the past fiscal year, nearly 25 million vehicles crossed the Bay Bridge.