Shot in High Definition, The Chesapeake Bay Bridge captures the physical majesty of the bridge and its distinct personality. Soaring 186 feet above the water, and spanning 4.3 miles the Chesapeake Bay Bridge opened for business in 1952 and opened the door to a new era in Maryland. The William Preston Lane, Jr. Memorial Bridge, commonly referred to as the Bay Bridge, connected Maryland's rural, historically isolated communities on the Eastern Shore with the fast-growing Baltimore and Washington metropolitan areas.