Chesapeake Bay Bridge

Connects Annapolis to Kent Island and beyond

4.3-mile bridge with a 75-foot height clearance

To some, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge is so daunting that they pay someone else to drive their vehicle from one side to the other. In reality, while the bridge is massive, it's doable.

And it's important to note that the 186-foot-high Chesapeake Bay Bridge is not even in the top 25 of the tallest bridges in America. If you want frightening, cross the 955-foot high Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado.

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge, a major dual span bridge, is formally named the Gov. William Preston Lane Memorial Bridge. Locals simply refer to it as the Bay Bridge.

The Maryland Transit Authority advises travelers to never "wing it" over the bridge. Planning is key, and that includes regular checks of travel alerts. During the summer season, they suggest the best time to travel over the bridge is:

• • Thursday & Friday: before 10 a.m. and after 10 p.m.

  • Saturday: before 7 a.m. and after 10 p.m.

  • Sunday: between 10 a.m. and after 10 p.m.

Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel

Connects Southeastern Maryland
to the Norfolk, Virginia, area

17.6 mile bridge with two one-mile tunnels featuring height clearance of 13 feet, 6 inches

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel that stretches above and below water from Virginia Beach/ Norfolk to Virginia's Eastern shore south of Maryland's Eastern shore.

The Tunnel Bridge is not connected to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Maryland. In fact, they are nearly 200 land miles apart.

While the Bay Bridge further north is a dual span bridge, the Bay Bridge Tunnel is a low-level trestle bridge. The length of the bridge crosses an ocean straight and includes two one-mile tunnels that dip below water level so that boats can safely enter the bay. At each tunnel are man-made islands

The official name of the Bridge Tunnel is Lucius J. Kellam, Jr. Bridge-Tunnel.

Trip planning for the area can start at Visit Eastern Shore Virginia.

Read more at Chesapeak Bay Bridge Tunnel and get RV tips.