Bay Bridge Re-Open to Traffic

The bridge had been closed to all vehicles due to high winds. Earlier in the day, the westbound lane was closed following an accident involving a tractor trailer.

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge re-opened Wednesday evening after high winds forced officials to close spans in both directions earlier in the day. The Maryland Transportation Authority opened the bridge to cars at about 6 p.m., then trucks were allowed to pass at about 7:20 p.m. The bridge was shut down to all traffic shortly before 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. Earlier, the westbound span was closed after a tractor trailer overturned, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) website.  The MDTA said it shuts down the bridge to all traffic when there are recorded winds above 55 miles per hour.  Get the latest on statewide traffic conditions at md511.org or call 877-BAYSPAN (229-7726) for current traffic conditions.

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Police Investigate Abandoned Car on Bay Bridge

A team of firefighters and police didn't find anyone after searching the water beneath the bridge.

Officers are searching for a driver who may have jumped after abandoning a car on the Bay Bridge on Wednesday afternoon. Police discovered a 2010 Chevrolet parked in the left lane on the westbound Bay Bridge at 2:55 p.m., said Maryland Transportation Authority's Sgt. Jonathan Green. County firefighters and Natural Resources Police searched the waters under the bridge but found no one, Green said. Green said he couldn't confirm whether they believe the driver jumped because, "it is our policy to neither confirm nor deny suicides on our facilities." The car is registered in Maryland, but Green said he could not release the owner's identity due to the ongoing investigation. Police closed two lanes on the bridge for about 30 minutes while the …

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O’Malley: Power Outages Rise Drastically to More Than 24,000

Additionally, bridges will close and early voting tomorrow is canceled, Gov. Martin O’Malley said Monday afternoon.

As Hurricane Sandy arrives in Maryland, more than 24,000 state residents are without power, Gov. Martin O’Malley announced in a press briefing Monday afternoon. “This is a very, very dangerous storm and she is intensifying at her center,” he said. O'Malley reiterated that trees, poles and power lines will be knocked down. “The main message of the day is to hunker down and to stay inside,” he said. In the half-hour prior the briefing, which began just after 2 p.m., the number of Marylanders without power rose from around 1,000 to more than 24,000, O'Malley said at Maryland Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Reisterstown. One person died in a weather-related car crash in Montgomery County around 11:30 a.m. Monday, The Washington …

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Ladd Urges State to Plan for New Bay Bridge

Broadneck's County Councilman Dick Ladd attended a meeting by the state's Department of Transportation this week, urging them to make plans for a solution to bridge traffic problems.

Bay Bridge Likely to Close Saturday Evening

In the governor’s afternoon press conference on Friday, he discussed some of the fine print of the state’s preparation.

Gov. Martin O’Malley and MEMA Executive Director Richard Muth laid out details of the state’s preparation for Hurricane Irene late Friday, saying the Chesapeake Bay Bridge is likely to be closed in the early evening Saturday. O'Malley said he plans to sleep at MEMA headquarters in Reisterstown Saturday night to keep abreast of storm response. The Ocean City area, Queen Anne’s County and low-lying areas of Wicomico County have mandatory evacuations, O’Malley said at the Maryland Emergency Management Agency's Reisterstown headquarters. After the storm, it will be up to local jurisdictions to determine when people can return to evacuated areas. Decisions will be determined by the amount of damage as well as the presence of water barriers. He …

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MDTA to Hold Public Hearing in Broadneck Tonight

The agency’s proposed toll increases will be discussed and public testimony is welcome.

Residents of the Broadneck area will have the opportunity to provide input on the recent proposal by the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) to significantly raise tolls on state bridges and tunnels. Nine public hearings will be held by the MDTA Board to receive public and private testimony for the proposed toll increases, including tonight’s meeting at Severn River Middle School. The hearings will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. with sign-in and displays from 5:30 to 6 p.m. and the formal presentation testimony beginning at 6 p.m. Registration for public comment will close at 7:45 p.m. Under the proposal, tolls for passenger cars on the Bay Bridge would, beginning Oct. 1, increase from $2.50 to $5 and eventually would increase to $8 on …

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