Poll Shows Midshore Support for New Bay Bridge, Land Fund

Queen Anne's County, MD - Most likely voters in four Midshore counties support building a new Chesapeake Bay Bridge, according to a new poll. Even more of them say protecting farmland and open space should be part of that plan.

The poll was paid for by Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC), a land conservation group based in Easton, Maryland. Susquehanna Polling and Research interviewed 1,250 likely voters from Caroline, Kent, Queen Anne's, and Talbot counties between September 7 and September 20, 2026. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.77% at the 95% confidence level.

According to the poll, 63% of likely voters across the Midshore support a new bridge. Among those supporters, 72% said better traffic flow and fewer delays are the main reason.

Land protection drew even stronger numbers. Of the people who took part, 95% said making farmland and open space protection a priority as part of a new bridge is important.

The poll also found that 85% of residents in the counties most affected by the bridge support creating a fund set aside for land conservation. ESLC says it has spent months working with conservation partners, county governments, and state agency officials to push for that kind of funding.

ESLC President and CEO Steve Kline said the bridge is part of daily life for many people here.
"For people who live on the Eastern Shore, the Bay Bridge isn't just a route to vacation or a weekend escape; it is how many people get to work, to school, to their doctor's visits. So, a safe bridge with more predictable travel times is important," Kline said.

Kline said a new bridge would add safe shoulders for disabled vehicles and end two-way traffic on the westbound span. He also warned it could lead to sprawl along Routes 50, 301, and 404.

"If we want to keep what we love about the Shore, a new Bay Bridge must include meaningful investment in land conservation," he said.

Carol Bean, ESLC Land Use and Policy Manager, pointed to other large projects coming to the Shore, like roads, solar installations, transmission lines, and data centers. She said the poll shows residents expect those projects to start paying to offset their impact on the land.  "The new Bay Bridge will literally pave the way for further infrastructure," Bean said.

Owen Bailey, ESLC Director of Land Use and Policy, noted that 40% of residents are worried a new bridge will increase traffic on local roads. He said protecting land along key corridors could help steer local traffic, direct growth to town centers, and prevent sprawl. "Proper planning has never been more crucial," Bailey said.

Officials with the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) have called a new Bay Bridge the "largest infrastructure project in Maryland's history." Even so, driving across it is likely a decade or more away, and no money has been committed to build it.

ESLC says land conservation should stay a priority as the review and design process moves forward. The group points to wildlife, climate resilience, natural resources, and quality of life across the Eastern Shore.

The full poll report is posted at eslc.org/resources.

Photo credits to Photographer Dave Harp.