High gasoline prices could shrink the crowds headed to the beach in the next few months, but state transportation officials said Friday they expect to see a slight increase in travel across the Bay Bridge this Memorial Day weekend.
About 324,000 cars are expected to travel the eastbound bridge span between Thursday and Monday, a 3 percent increase over the same period in 2005, said Maryland Transportation Authority Executive Secretary Trent Kittleman said.
In an effort to reduce delays, crews have completed an extra half-mile extension of the E-Z Pass lane for beachgoers who have one of the prepaid passes.
Gov. Robert Ehrlich has rolled out a new TV commercial, with a cameo appearance by former Gov. Marvin Mandel, to encourage vacationers to “go early, stay late” to beat the bridge?s notorious summer traffic jams.
Kittleman said last year?s “go early, stay late” campaign resulted in a 7 percent increase in the number of travelers crossing the bridge between 4 and 7 a.m. on Saturdays.
The bridge?s chronic congestion has fueled debate over the need for a second Bay crossing, but so far local discontent over the idea has stalled the proposals in the General Assembly. An economic study is due out next month on the impact of a second bridge.
By mid-June, drivers will also notice fluorescent pink markers mounted on either side of the eastbound span designed to help motorists increase their following distance and reduce the risk of rear-end collisions which are responsible for some of the worst traffic delays.
“If you stay far enough behind, you can enjoy the view of the Chesapeake Bay and not run into someone,” Kittleman said.
According to MdTA, 58 percent of all accidents on the bridge between January 2002 and December 2004 were rear-end collisions, and 70 percent of those occurred on the eastbound span. The markers will be placed at 200-foot intervals on about 3.6 miles of the bridge, concentrated on either end of the span where the views of the water are best. Signs will instruct drivers to keep two of the pink markers between their car and the one in front of them.
