WASHINGTON (WJLA) — Major changes are underway on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge as crews are in the process of removing tollbooths.
Construction crews installed jersey walls Sunday night and it will take months to remove all of the toll lanes.
The goal of this work is to keep traffic flowing because transportation officials don’t want drivers to slow down at the toll plaza. In the upcoming weeks, a gantry (an overhead hang) will be installed and used to collect toll fees. If drivers don’t have an EZ pass they will receive a bill in the mail.
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37 comments:
Won't make much of a difference. People are still lousy drivers and freak out when they get to any bridge, tunnel, curve, narrowing of the roadway, or any other disturbance in the force. Until people learn to actually drive at and maintain a steady speed there will always be backups.
This bad idea in my opinion will cost the state more than it saves...
When all is said and done the west approach will be the same as the east approach.
SBJ
January 14, 2020 at 9:51 AM:
Funny that you criticize all People" from your non-people perch. What are you, if not a person? It WILL make a big difference when "people" / drivers don't have to slow down to 10 MPH, or completely stop at a toll booth, and backing up traffic behind them, before crossing the bridge. Only an idiot can't see that.
January 14, 2020 at 9:51 AM:
TheRealRay doesn't know what he is talking about.
I hope that they are smart enough to be able to get both front and rear tags on the cameras. Otherwise, those with Delaware tags and only need a rear tag will be able to breeze right on through.
So when the mva makes a false charge/mistake they'll throw that flag on your registration until you pay the ransom.
Not going to fix a thing. You still have 5 or more lanes funneling down to 2. The choke point will cause even longer backups.
Get use to it. Soon there will not be any toll takers anywhere.
You have three lanes funneling down to two. It will definitely improve weight times during busy periods.
Exactly 10;10. I commute twice a week over the bay and anything will be an improvement.
10:20 is correct. Now you will have these 70mph aggressive drivers creating more accidents and then you will have more pile ups and delays. Also look at the west bound side now you have severe backups on the Shore. What will this solve? NOTHING. The only way to solve this problem is to restrict the amount of traffic crossing to the Eastern Shore with quadruple the cost of crossing over, Business trucks and tour Buses only ones exempt. Any Dumba$$ knows that. Make beaches along the Bay and let these idiots stay on their side of the Bay.
9:51 Nobody said "All people". The writer said people that could mean All, most, a lot or few. Your assuming and you know what that makes you.
If what you say about the toll booths was totally true then how do you explain the backups going west bound where there aren't any toll booths. Even if what you say is true then why does the bridge itself get backed up?
Until all drivers/people learn to drive and maintain a constant speed on the highway and learn how to properly merge then there will always be backups on heavily congested highways.
Why do you think all concerned players are so interested in developing driverless vehicles? More cars can occupy a given space if they are moving and merging properly. The government can't even maintain the highways they have let alone build new ones not to mention the land required to build new highways.
Anything to get more tracking devices in cars. Have you ever seen the mobile EZ pass readers they deploy to the side of the road in random spots to see who's coming by? Keep an eye out and you will spot them.
hopefully will work better then the Virginia system. You NEVER get the first bill, then the second one comes plus the $30 additional fine since you didnt pay the first bill you never got. and good luck trying to get in touch with a real person to complain about the issue
January 14, 2020 at 10:20 AM;
5 lanes? It's three down to two for eastbound, and three lanes to three lanes for westbound. The toll booths WIDENED the lane count and then narrowed them back down before getting on the bridge. A colossal mess that kept traffic backed up. With the new setup, traffic will run the speed limit right through the overhead toll gate. No one will have to slow down or stop. You don't see traffic backing up on Route 1 in Delaware, which uses the new overhead tolling. You can drive 65 MPH right on through. Too many people know little about how it works, but that doesn't stop them from complaining and putting out false information and opinions when it comes to Maryland.
I don't think so
That is exactly what has been happening on the Hatem bridge crossing the Susquehanna River on Rt 40
This is more automation that takes away jobs. We will soon need that Freedom Dividend that Andrew Yang promotes.
Accidents waiting to happen!
It's about time. Most tolls are now automated with EZ Pass or plate readers. This is great news. Traffic flow will be greatly improved. Never understood why we still had toll booths present.
Before the recent bridge construction, traffic flow hardly even slowed when heading west. It will be the same east bound when the toll booths are removed. FINALLY!
Drive that dam bridge 5 days a week
this should have been done years ago
its not 3 or 5 lanes it spreads out to 11 toll booths then back to the current 2 lanes to cross east bound bridge
the 11 booths create a bull pen that most drivers get caught in on both sides of the toll booths
What ever you do don't use lane 3 to lane 11 if so your screwed
always ez pass lane 1 and or 2
January 14, 2020 at 10:50 AM:
Damn! What are you smoking?
January 14, 2020 at 11:11 AM;
Saying "people are still lousy drivers" is not the same as saying some people or most people. I can read and understand the written word. I don't read between the lines and try to figure out what somebody MEANS to say. Too bad if you're offended. And I'm not going to explain to you what highway engineers have already figured out. What they are doing is a GOOD thing and will benefit all drivers that use those bridges, even you. (but you'll never admit it)
I agree
The Western Shore wants the Eastern Shore to look like their crime cities
They will KEEP it this way & Eliminate JOBS at the booths !!!!
January 14, 2020 at 12:46 PM:
The unionized Maryland tollbooth workers will not lose their jobs. Maryland NEVER eliminates a state job. They'll just be reassigned to other duties, even if it's just sitting at a desk with nothing to do until they retire with their pension. Automation only eliminates jobs in the private sector.
On thanksgiving day they ordered me to keep my vehicle moving and NOT PAY and now I got a FINE for not PAYING.
January 19, 2020 at 9:46 AM;
You didn't get a fine. You got a bill for the toll. Just because they told you to keep moving, didn't mean that passage was free. Keep moving meant pay later (and don't hold up traffic because you didn't have EZY Pass). Now pay the toll fee so your registration doesn't get flagged. You went across the bridge on Thanksgiving day and you owe the state for the toll. Quit your griping.
January 14, 2020 at 10:50 AM"
The only dumb-ass is you making the most asinine statements being made on the subject. It is unbelievable how stupid you sound. "Make beaches along the Bay"!!! That's got to be the stupidest thing I have ever heard of.
pay it on time and its no different then paying as you went across. get the ez pass and its only 2.50 to cross. Other states have been doing this for years.If there is a issue you can just call them. I have done it with great success. Call The transportation authority.
Ok genius. First off, you are forgetting the additional lanes where people come off of the bridge. You know, the bridge everyone uses to beat traffic on the side roads. They add additional lanes bozo. If you think three lanes down to two does not cause a backup, try going westbound on any Sunday afternoon. Why does it back up well past the outlets? There is no toll booth. It is supposed to be three lanes to three lanes. Then tell me, oh traffic engineer, why does it backup for MILES?!?
I take my tags off before crossing and have never gotten ticketed or paid a toll.
January 19, 2020 at 3:06 PM:
You can't see the obvious for some reason. You KNOW there is construction going on the Westbound side that eliminates a lane, and another westbound lane is often taken for eastbound traffic when there is high demand eastbound. Now that's threes lanes down to two, or one. Are you too dense to know or see that, Mr. smarter-than-a-traffic-engineer?? And once the traffic is backed up in either direction down to start and stop, it can take hours to clear up to a steady movement, with or without a toll booth. You are Mr. Oblivious.
hopefully will work better then the Virginia system. You NEVER get the first bill, then the second one comes plus the $30 additional fine since you didnt pay the first bill you never got. and good luck trying to get in touch with a real person to complain about the issue
January 14, 2020 at 11:54 AM:
I went across the toll bridge in Virginia in Suffolk County on my way to the Outer Banks a couple of years ago, and I got and paid the first notice that I received. I didn't ignore it like you did and think that because it was out of state that no one would bother me for it. Should have paid the first one they sent you. That "NEVER" word often makes a liar out of the one using it. I got the first bill / notice from Virginia and paid it. And that makes you the liar.
On october 10 2019 I was pushed through the tolls....toll guy told me the tolls were down and to just pass through. I got a 54 dollar ticket
These guys are thieves
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