The Maryland Transportation Authority is kicking off its Chesapeake Bay Bridge protection project by inviting companies to submit designs to improve the safety of the structure.
The $175 million project will strengthen the protection of the bridge’s piers on the east and westbound spans.
The construction on the design is anticipated to start in the spring of next year.
Companies have until June of this year to submit their designs.
The project is part of Maryland’s attempt to add an extra layer of protection after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge nearly two years ago.
The National Transportation Safety Board called out the Chesapeake Bay Bridge last year as one of 68 bridges across the nation that were built before standards and recommendations were set by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
After the report, the state conducted a six hundred thousand dollar assessment of the bridge and decided to invest in protective structures, after NTSB said Maryland should have conducted those assessments years ago.
The construction will be fully funded by toll revenues from state facilities.
The NTSB study found that Maryland’s lack of awareness around the Francis Scott Key Bridge was a factor in the collapse last year.
“The MDTA would have been able to proactively identify strategies to reduce the risk of a collapse and loss of lives associated with a vessel collision with the bridge,” NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said last month. “What's frustrating is, not only did MDTA fail to conduct the vulnerability assessment on the Key Bridge, they did not provide, nor were they able to provide, the NTSB with the data needed to conduct the assessment, including the characteristics of vessel traffic passing under the bridge, vessel transit speeds, vessel loading characteristics.”
In a letter to the NTSB, the MDTA stated it “is developing a comprehensive risk reduction plan that will include short-term and long-term strategies for reducing risk, such as bridge operational restrictions, regulatory requirements for vessel transits under the Bay Bridges, and physical protection measures. Short-term strategies may include: communication protocols for vessel pilots, reduced vessel speeds, one-way transits, and methods to manage vehicular traffic on the bridge. Long-term strategies may include: physical protection measures such as dolphins and pier fenders.”
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is a dual bridge, one side was completed in 1952, the second in 1973. The industry standards for protecting bridges from vessel collisions were developed in 1991.
