Chesapeake Bay Bridge
major dual-span bridge in the U.S. state of Maryland, spanning the Chesapeake Bay
The Gov. William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge (informally called the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and, locally, the Bay Bridge) is a major dual-span bridge in the U.S. state of Maryland. Spanning the Chesapeake Bay, it connects the state's rural Eastern Shore region with its urban and suburban Western Shore, running between Stevensville and Sandy Point State Park near the capital city of Annapolis. The original span, opened in 1952 and with a length of 4 miles (6.4 km), was the world's longest continuous over-water steel structure. The parallel span was added in 1973. The bridge is named for William Preston Lane Jr., who, as the 52nd Governor of Maryland, launched its construction in the late 1940s after decades of political indecision and public controversy.
The bridge is part of U.S. Route 50 (US 50) and U.S. Route 301 (US 301), and serves as a vital link in both routes. As part of cross-country US 50, it connects the Baltimore–Washington Metropolitan Area with Ocean City, Maryland, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and other coastal tourist destinations. As part of US 301, it serves as part of an alternative route for Interstate 95 travelers, between northern Delaware and the Washington, D.C., area.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Chesapeake Bay Bridge” is major dual-span bridge in the U.S. state of Maryland, spanning the Chesapeake Bay. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Chesapeake, Bridge and major, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “major dual-span bridge in the U.S. state of Maryland, spanning the Chesapeake Bay” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 9, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1319988. VIAF identifies the subject as 315531142. The Library of Congress control number is sh2008009419. Authority coordinates are 38.992, -76.372. 3 of 4 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1952 and 1973.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Chesapeake Bay Bridge”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Chesapeake Bay Bridge primary sources, Chesapeake Bay Bridge archive and Chesapeake research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Chesapeake Bay Bridge”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Chesapeake Bay Bridge” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.