Maryland must strike a balance on Chesapeake Bay Bridge

No bridge lasts forever, with the possible exception of certain historic structures built by the ancient Romans. They wear out and need to be restored or replaced. The recent decision by the Federal Highway Administration to move forward with plans for a new crossing at the site of the two existing spans of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge linking Sandy Point with Kent Island is hardly unexpected. As much as some individuals including Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman have protested that any new crossing should be located elsewhere — well to the north or south — the existing Anne Arundel-Queen Anne’s site has long seemed most practical, given the degree to which U.S. 50 has been upgraded over the years to accommodate traffic to and from the region.