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Chesapeake Bay Bridge 10K

Started by talllguy, November 11, 2014, 10:09:42 PM

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talllguy

I did the subject race this year. What a blast! It was really cool to be way up on the bridge. Very quiet, very peaceful. Lots of interesting roadfan things:

The bridge is fully reversible. I wonder if the original two lane span has ever been fully reversed, with no eastbound traffic?

There are suicide hotline phones all over the place.

The paint has raised rumble strips built into the pigment.

Many of the mile markers were damaged or destroyed.

Here are some pictures. Here is my run on Strava (also with pictures, if you're on Strava).


SteveG1988

Awesome man, wish more bridges did this sort of thing. I'd imangine it would require there be other spans nearby to shoulder the load.
Roads Clinched

I55,I82,I84(E&W)I88(W),I87(N),I81,I64,I74(W),I72,I57,I24,I65,I59,I12,I71,I77,I76(E&W),I70,I79,I85,I86(W),I27,I16,I97,I96,I43,I41,

akotchi

Back in the 1980s, when I lived in the Annapolis area, there was an annual Bay Bridge Walk in the spring.  The one year I was able to do it was in between winter closures of the eastbound span for redecking.

Got caught a bit off-guard by the vibrations near the top of the suspension span, but otherwise very pleasant.  Got some pretty nice pictures from the vantage points up there.

Glad to see that they still have these types of events on the bridge.  I know the walk was suspended for a time.

I have never seen the eastbound span completely westbound, but I have been on it during two-way operation on one occasion.
Opinions here attributed to me are mine alone and do not reflect those of my employer or the agencies for which I am contracted to do work.

Zeffy

Quote from: SteveG1988 on November 18, 2014, 10:03:30 AM
Awesome man, wish more bridges did this sort of thing. I'd imangine it would require there be other spans nearby to shoulder the load.

While not the same type of deal, the recently established Trenton Half Marathon event had runners go across not only the Trenton Makes Bridge, but the Calhoun Street Bridge as well. If I had much more stamina I would participate, but I can barely run 1/2 of a mile without passing out, let alone anything in the 5k range!

@talllguy: Thanks for sharing these great pictures!
Life would be boring if we didn't take an offramp every once in a while

A weird combination of a weather geek, roadgeek, car enthusiast and furry mixed with many anxiety related disorders

cpzilliacus

Quote from: talllguy on November 11, 2014, 10:09:42 PM
The bridge is fully reversible. I wonder if the original two lane span has ever been fully reversed, with no eastbound traffic?

Yes, but perhaps not recently.

Before the "new" (westbound) three lane span was opened to traffic in 1972, the MdTA and its predecessor agency, the State Roads Commission (also predecessor to SHA) [MdTA and SHA were formed out of SRC with the creation of MDOT in 1971] would run both lanes westbound for as much as an hour (if memory serves) on summertime Sunday afternoons, and on the last day of long summer weekends if that day was not a Sunday.

Keep in mind that there were many at-grade signalized intersections along U.S. 50/U.S. 301 east of the bridge (as well as the Kent Narrows drawspan), and a few west of the bridge (including a notorious intersection at Capt St. Claire in Anne Arundel County).   

Tolls were also collected in both directions up to about 1992.

Back then (especially prior to 1972), the Chesapeake Bay Bridge was a real bottleneck for traffic headed to or from the Atlantic Ocean resorts of Delaware and Maryland (and even as far south Chincoteague, Virginia).
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

jeffandnicole

Quote from: Zeffy on November 18, 2014, 11:38:35 AM
Quote from: SteveG1988 on November 18, 2014, 10:03:30 AM
Awesome man, wish more bridges did this sort of thing. I'd imangine it would require there be other spans nearby to shoulder the load.

While not the same type of deal, the recently established Trenton Half Marathon event had runners go across not only the Trenton Makes Bridge, but the Calhoun Street Bridge as well. If I had much more stamina I would participate, but I can barely run 1/2 of a mile without passing out, let alone anything in the 5k range!

@talllguy: Thanks for sharing these great pictures!

Even if you don't run, volunteer instead. I haven't assisted at this race yet, but I've assisted at the NJ Marathon.  That is an *early* wakeup call for me: 1:30am, in order to be there by 4am.


Pete from Boston

This is great.  I have been trying to get running more, and a run like that would be great incentive.

cpzilliacus

Quote from: Pete from Boston on November 18, 2014, 01:15:06 PM
This is great.  I have been trying to get running more, and a run like that would be great incentive.

I do not run, but I do walk - a lot - and walking the bridge would be fun and something I can do now.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

talllguy

Quote from: Zeffy on November 18, 2014, 11:38:35 AM
@talllguy: Thanks for sharing these great pictures!

Glad you liked them!

ixnay

Bumping this up after stumbling across it, scrolling down, and reading it.

Quote from: cpzilliacus on November 18, 2014, 11:59:09 AM
Quote from: talllguy on November 11, 2014, 10:09:42 PM
The bridge is fully reversible. I wonder if the original two lane span has ever been fully reversed, with no eastbound traffic?

Yes, but perhaps not recently.

Before the "new" (westbound) three lane span was opened to traffic in 1972, the MdTA and its predecessor agency, the State Roads Commission (also predecessor to SHA) [MdTA and SHA were formed out of SRC with the creation of MDOT in 1971] would run both lanes westbound for as much as an hour (if memory serves) on summertime Sunday afternoons, and on the last day of long summer weekends if that day was not a Sunday.

Keep in mind that there were many at-grade signalized intersections along U.S. 50/U.S. 301 east of the bridge (as well as the Kent Narrows drawspan), and a few west of the bridge (including a notorious intersection at Capt St. Claire in Anne Arundel County).

It took half your lifetime to get across 50 at those intersections, at least on Kent Island and in Grasonville.*  Those intersections were still there when I moved to Delmarva from PA in 1985 (IIRC the first to be eliminated was at MD 8 in Stevensville), and the Cape St. Claire Road and Bay Dale Drive intersections were still there in the early '90s.

QuoteTolls were also collected in both directions up to about 1992.

Back then (especially prior to 1972), the Chesapeake Bay Bridge was a real bottleneck for traffic headed to or from the Atlantic Ocean resorts of Delaware and Maryland (and even as far south Chincoteague, Virginia).

I pity all who were caught in those backups.  I've read where guys would get out and play Frisbee catch while waiting.

*It *still* takes half your lifetime to get across 50 on MD 213 in Wye Mills, and probably on MD 404 also (I've never attempted the latter).

ixnay
The Washington/Baltimore/Arlington CSA has two Key Bridges, a Minnesota Avenue, and a Mannasota Avenue.

cpzilliacus

Quote from: talllguy on November 11, 2014, 10:09:42 PM
There are suicide hotline phones all over the place.

Sorry that they need those.

Quote from: talllguy on November 11, 2014, 10:09:42 PM
The paint has raised rumble strips built into the pigment.

Many of the mile markers were damaged or destroyed.

The mile markers that remain are probably the last of the "old style" Maryland toll road mileposts - red on a white background.  Not sure why MDTA has not replaced them with MUTCD 1/10 markers (using milage consitent with SHA's mileposts which start just east of the D.C./Prince George's County line), as has been done on most other toll-maintained roads.

Quote from: talllguy on November 11, 2014, 10:09:42 PM
Here are some pictures. Here is my run on Strava (also with pictures, if you're on Strava).

Cool pictures.  Thanks for sharing.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.



Opinions expressed here on belong solely to the poster and do not represent or reflect the opinions or beliefs of AARoads, its creators and/or associates.