Best Times to Travel

Expect major delays in both directions during the Westbound Deck Rehab Project.  Motorists advised to allow extra travel time.

As part of the MDTA’s commitment to work around the clock and expedite the westbound deck rehab project, the contractor will now work through Thanksgiving week. According to MDTA engineers, significant time savings will be achieved because crews are not only gaining the week to work, but they will not have to stop work progress weeks ahead of the holiday and spend time preparing the right lane for traffic, removing all the jersey barriers, and restriping the lanes.

Drivers should expect major delays in both directions throughout the holiday period. While traffic volumes start to build as early as Tuesday that week, Wednesday through Friday are expected to be the heaviest travel days eastbound, while Thursday through Sunday are expected to be the heaviest days for westbound traffic.

Recommended times to travel the Bay Bridge during the Thanksgiving holiday period:

Eastbound:

•     Tuesday - Friday - before 9 a.m. and after 9 p.m.
•     Monday - before 12 noon and after 8 p.m. 

Westbound:

•     Tuesday/Wednesday - before 5 a.m. and after 6 p.m.
•     Thursday - Sunday - before 9 a.m. and after 9 p.m.
•     Monday - before 5 a.m. and after 2 p.m.

Tourism Office Promotes ‘Go Early, Stay Late’ Offers. To help spread out travel to and from the Eastern Shore during the holiday season, the Maryland Department of Commerce’s Office of Tourism is coordinating new offers to encourage travelers to ‘Go Early, Stay Late,’ including enhancing its ‘Home for the Holidays’ initiative.