(August 30, 2017) – Following through on his commitment to bring traffic congestion relief to Maryland drivers, Governor Larry Hogan today announced a construction project in Anne Arundel County that will reduce congestion for hundreds of thousands of residents and visitors who travel over Annapolis’ Severn River Bridge each year.

 

Looking down from the Ridgely Avenue overpass on the traffic on eastbound US 50, the governor announced the beginning of the project to add a fourth eastbound lane on the US 50 bridge over the Severn River to address recurring and growing congestion. The project includes adding an additional eastbound US 50 lane on the bridge by shifting the existing median barrier and restriping to provide seven through-travel lanes (four lanes on eastbound US 50; three lanes on westbound US 50) from Rowe Boulevard across the Severn River Bridge to the MD 2/MD 450 interchange.

 

“Every single day, 126,000 drivers are faced with serious backups that plague this bridge. On a typical summer Friday, that number swells to more than 145,000 vehicles. It is a serious bottleneck that is a constant headache for many Marylanders who live in Annapolis and the Broadneck Peninsula, as well as for commuters and vacationers trying to reach the Eastern Shore,” said Governor Hogan. “Moving forward with this important project and getting construction underway is great news for Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, the Eastern Shore, and for the State of Maryland. With these improvements, we are continuing to help Maryland citizens go about their daily lives in a faster, more efficient, and safer manner.”

 

 

 

“The Severn River Bridge serves as a major choke point for Anne Arundel County commuters, and adding a new eastbound lane will secure a smoother ride for all that cross this bridge,” said County Executive Schuh. “Our citizens are lucky to have a friend like Governor Hogan who has shown a continued commitment to restore the transportation funds we need so desperately.”

 

Construction will begin next week on the eastbound side of the bridge where the contractor, Joseph B. Fay Construction, Inc. of Glen Burnie, will begin installing barriers. The project is scheduled to be completed before Memorial Day weekend 2018.

 

As part of the construction, crews will shift the median barrier and reduce its width from three to two feet, which will reduce the lane width from 12 feet to 11 feet on both the eastbound and westbound parallel bridges. Three lanes of traffic will be maintained during the day for both eastbound and westbound US 50 traffic. Work zone signs will be placed in advance of construction. Nighttime lane closures will begin September 5; no daytime lane closures are permitted. Additional work includes reconstructing the existing bridge deck and catwalk under the bridge, placing precast barriers on the bridge, and installing new steel cross frames.

 

The average daily traffic on this section of US 50 is 126,000 vehicles per day with that number ballooning to more than 145,000 on a typical summer Friday. By 2040, the daily average is expected to be 160,000 vehicles per day and again balloon to more than 186,000 on a summer Friday. Currently during the evening rush hour, traffic delays routinely extend for miles along the corridor, increasing during crashes or routine maintenance work.

 

Once the US 50 Severn River Bridge project is complete in May 2018, motorists will enjoy a safer, more efficient ride to Annapolis, the Eastern Shore, and other points in northern Anne Arundel County.