With nearly a quarter-million cars expected to cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge this weekend, travelers trekking to the shore may find comfort in a traffic-tip hot line that didn?t exist last Memorial Day.
From midnight to 3:30 p.m. Friday, more than 3,000 people called the Bay Bridge hot line for the latest on delays, said Grover Moore, Maryland Transportation Authority spokesman. The congestion reports are updated every half hour for the 24-hour hotline, he said.
And if the worst holiday scenario does occur for revelers of summer?s kickoff ? the dreaded car accident on the bridge ? it will most likely occur while traveling eastbound and be a rear-end collision, according to the authority?s statistics.
Despite public relations efforts to reduce bridge backups, not everyone follows the oft-proclaimed mantra of “Go early, stay late.”
“Folks are going to leave, regardless of what we say,” said Maryland State police spokesman Sgt. Thornnie Rouse. “But I suggest people come back late Monday. Do it after midnight or early Tuesday.”
About 226,000 have called 1-877-BAYSPAN for information on traffic jams since it startedin June of last year. Almost 324,000 vehicles are expected to drive the span between Thursday and Monday ? a 3 percent increase over last year, according to the state transportation authority.
Travel tips
Recommended travel hours:
» Saturday, before 7 a.m. and after 5 p.m.
» Sunday, before 11 a.m. and after 10 p.m.
» Memorial Day Monday, before 11 a.m. and after 10 p.m.
Number of calls to Bay Bridge traffic hot line in 2005:
» July 4: 2,284
» July 9: 4,858
» Aug. 21: 9,416
» Sept. 5: 3,797
Memorial Day travel safety tips
» Stay alert, especially in areas with limited or no shoulder space and during inclement weather.
» Dial #77 to report disabled vehicles.
– Source: Maryland Transportation Authority
