Maryland, citing pandemic, delays release of draft study for third Bay Bridge span Katherine Shaver Maryland officials have delayed the release of a draft study exploring where to build a third span for the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, saying they had to postpone federally required public hearings due to the worsening pandemic. The study, which analyzed the community and environmental impacts of three potential corridors for an additional span, was scheduled to be released last fall, said John Sales, spokesman for the Maryland Transportation Authority. Public hearings on the findings were scheduled for this winter. The state was on track to meet that schedule, Sales said, until coronavirus infection rates and “associated restrictions” increased. A plan to release the findings in December also was pushed back due to climbing coronavirus cases, he said.