MDOT to Suspend Non-Emergency Lane Closures at 3pm Friday – 9am Tuesday

May 24, 2024/Mari Lou

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Thousands of holiday travelers will hit the highways in Maryland and Delaware to ring in the unofficial start to the summer season. To help protect travelers, work crews and to keep traffic moving, the Maryland Highway Administration will suspend non-emergency lane closures from 3 p.m. Friday, May 24, through 9 a.m. Tuesday, May 28. 

The agency will provide additional patrols of its Coordinated Highways Action Response Team – or CHART – to assist disabled vehicles, clear incidents and remove debris in the lanes. Real-time traffic information is available at roads.maryland.gov and click CHART​.  ​

Best Times for the Bay Bridge

For those crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge this Memorial Day weekend – you will not be alone. The Maryland Transportation Authority anticipates more than 330,000   vehicles will cross the bridge between Friday May 24 and Monday May 27. Expect delays in both directions – often simultaneously – at the bridge and along the US 50 corridor throughout the holiday travel period during peak hours. The best times to travel across the Bay Bridge this weekend include: 

EASTBOUND

  • Friday, May 24 – before 8 a.m. and after 10 p.m.
  • Saturday, May 25 – before 7 a.m. and after 4 p.m.
  • Sunday, May 26 – before 10 a.m. and after 5 p.m.
  • Memorial Day Monday, May 27 – before 10 a.m. and after 5 p.m.
  • Tuesday, May 28 – before 7 a.m. and after 7 p.m.

WESTBOUND

  • Friday, May 24 – before 8 a.m. and after 8 p.m.​
  • Saturday, May 25 – before 11 a.m. and after 5 p.m.
  • Sunday, May 26 – before 11 a.m. and after 5 p.m.
  • Memorial Day Monday, May 27 – before 9 a.m. and after 10 p.m.
  • Tuesday, May 28 – before 6 a.m. and after 6 p.m.

Motorists should stay on US 50 on both sides of the bridge to keep local roadways open for first responders and residents. Overhead lane signals apply to travel lanes BEFORE, ON and AFTER the bridge wherever lane signals are present.

  • RED X: Means the lane is closed. You MUST NOT enter or travel in any lane over which a RED X signal is shown.
  • YELLOW X: Prepare to vacate the lane beneath the YELLOW X signal and move to a lane with a DOWNWARD GREEN ARROW.
  • DOWNWARD GREEN ARROW: Motorists can drive in the lane beneath the GREEN ARROW signal.

As a reminder, Bay Bridge tolls are collected electronically through E-ZPass, Pay-By-Plate and Video Tolling. E-ZPass is the most cost-effective way to travel toll roads in Maryland, saving drivers up to 77% compared to the higher rates and saving the additional paperwork that comes with Video Tolls. Learn more and enroll in E-ZPass or sign up for Pay-By-Plate at https://www.driveezmd.com/acct-types. 

For 24/7 Bay Bridge traffic updates call 1-877-BAYSPAN (1-877-229-7726) or go to baybridge.com. For real-time updates on major incidents on toll roads follow https://x.com/TheMDTA on X/Twitter.

For those traveling along I-95 in northeast Maryland, Maryland House (mile marker 82) and Chesapeake House (mile marker 97) travel plazas are open for food, rest and Wi-Fi access. ​​​​

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