At its opening in 1964, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel was named one of the "Five Wonders of the Modern World" by Reader's Digest magazine. It was the culmination of a concerted, decade-long push by a group of men, led by Lucius J. Kellam Jr., an Eastern Shore native and businessman who dreamed of opening up the remote Eastern Shore to the bustling Virginia mainland. This $200-million, 17.6-mile-long series of bridges, tunnels, islands, and trestle in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay - long dismissed as impractical and even impossible - won the attention of the world at its opening. It also brought an abrupt end to the ferry service that was long a cornerstone of the New York-to-Florida "Ocean Highway," shuttling millions of cars between the Eastern Shore and Hampton Roads.

Considers (74) S. 4488.

Presents an overview of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. Includes location, history, travel information, safety regulations, administrative background, plus information on local wildlife, events and nearby attractions.

When it opened to traffic in 1952, the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge--simply called the Chesapeake Bay Bridge--was the third-longest bridge in the world. The four-mile long span was constructed over the Chesapeake Bay in a dramatic 2.5-year period of progress that became known to the workers as "Operation Link," because it would be the first physical connection between the two widely separated parts of Maryland. The new bridge transformed Maryland's Eastern Shore from a sleepy backwater to a major tourism destination and caused an economic boom in Baltimore in the west. Today, the two spans--the original Bay Bridge from 1952 and the parallel span built alongside it in 1973--are towering architectural landmarks along the East Coast of the United States.

When it opened to traffic in 1952, the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge--simply called the Chesapeake Bay Bridge--was the third-longest bridge in the world. The four-mile long span was constructed over the Chesapeake Bay in a dramatic 2.5-year period of progress that became known to the workers as "Operation Link," because it would be the first physical connection between the two widely separated parts of Maryland. The new bridge transformed Maryland's Eastern Shore from a sleepy backwater to a major tourism destination and caused an economic boom in Baltimore in the west. Today, the two spans--the original Bay Bridge from 1952 and the parallel span built alongside it in 1973--are towering architectural landmarks along the East Coast of the United States.