# 2026-22771: Federal Approval Advances Plans to Replace Chesapeake Bay Bridges

2026-22771, Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions on Proposed Highway in Maryland, is a Federal Register notice from Transportation Department, Federal Highway Administration published 2026-11-09, effective 2026-11-09; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-22771
- As of: 2026-11-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-22771
- Title: Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions on Proposed Highway in Maryland
- Type: Notice
- Agencies: Transportation Department; Federal Highway Administration
- Citation: 91 FR 70979
- Published: 2026-11-09
- Effective: 2026-11-09
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: yes
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-11-11

## In one line

Federal Approval Advances Plans to Replace Chesapeake Bay Bridges

## Summary

The Federal Highway Administration has given the green light to improve U.S. 50/301 and replace the Chesapeake Bay Bridges in Maryland. This means new bridges will be built, and the old ones will be taken down, affecting drivers and local communities. If anyone wants to challenge these decisions, they must act by April 8, 2027, or lose their chance.

## Abstract

This notice announces action taken by FHWA that are final. The actions relate to the proposed improvements along U.S. 50/301 and proposed replacement of the Chesapeake Bay Bridges (Bay Bridge) across the Chesapeake Bay. Those actions grant licenses, permits, or approvals for the Project. The Tier 2 Combined Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Record of Decision (ROD) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other documents in the Project file provide details on the Project and FHWA's actions.

## Effects PRIA read

- Final Approval to Replace Bay Bridge: mixed, high. If you drive on U.S. 50/301 or live in nearby communities, FHWA has issued final approvals to build replacement Chesapeake Bay Bridge(s) and to demolish the current Bay Bridge. The notice was published in the Federal Register on November 9, 2026, and the Tier 2 Combined FEIS and ROD describe the ap…
- Deadline to Challenge FHWA Decisions: cost, medium. If you want to file a legal challenge to these Federal agency actions, your claim must be filed on or before April 8, 2027, or it will be barred. If another Federal law provides a shorter filing period (less than 150 days), that shorter period applies instead.
- Public Access to Project Documents: benefit, low. You can view and download the Tier 2 Combined Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), Record of Decision (ROD), and supporting technical reports from the project website at https://baycrossingstudy.com/ or by contacting FHWA at the Maryland Division address listed in the notice.
- Approvals Taken Under Environmental and Relocation Laws: benefit, medium. FHWA's final approvals for the Project were taken under multiple Federal laws including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401-7671(q)), Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531-1544), Section 4(f) and Section 106 historic review, the Unifo…

## Related documents

- [2026-17904](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-17904): National Environmental Policy Act Regulations, 2026-09-01
- [2025-12364](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-12364): Revision of National Environmental Policy Act Regulations, 2025-07-03
- [2026-22738](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-22738): Agency Information Collection Activities: Notice of Request for Extension of a Currently Approved Information Collection, 2026-11-09
- [2026-22331](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-22331): Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions on Transportation Project in Nebraska, 2026-11-02
- [2026-21237](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-21237): Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments for a New Information Collection, 2026-10-19
- [2026-21228](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-21228): Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments for a New Information Collection, 2026-10-16

## Sources
- [2026-22771 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/11/09/2026-22771/notice-of-final-federal-agency-actions-on-proposed-highway-in-maryland)
- [2026-22771 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-11-09/pdf/2026-22771.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2026-22770, 60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Youth Homelessness System Imp…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-22770)
- [Next: 2026-22773, Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Northern New Mexico](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-22773)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-22771 (as of 2026-11-11).