In a Land Trust's Poll, 63% of Talbot Voters Back a New Bay Bridge — and 84% Want a Preservation Fund Built Into It

EASTON, MARYLAND — Sixty-three percent of Talbot County likely voters surveyed in September said they support building a new Chesapeake Bay Bridge, and 84% said they would back a land preservation fund paid for as part of the bridge's cost, according to a poll paid for by the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy.

The Easton-based conservancy, which has been pressing for dedicated land-conservation money in any new bridge plan, sponsored the survey. Susquehanna Polling and Research interviewed 1,250 likely voters in Caroline, Kent, Queen Anne's and Talbot counties from Sept. 7 to 20. The four-county margin of error is plus or minus 2.77 percentage points; for the 300 Talbot interviews it is plus or minus 5.6 points.

In Talbot, 43% strongly supported a new bridge and 21% somewhat supported it, for a total of 63% as the poll reports it. Twenty-two percent opposed it and 14% were neutral. Asked their primary reason, with more than one answer allowed, 74% of Talbot supporters cited better traffic flow and fewer delays.

The fund question told respondents that the money would be included in the overall costs of the bridge project. In Talbot, 63% strongly supported such a fund and 21% somewhat supported it; 12% opposed it. Across the four counties, the conservancy reports that 85% of residents in the most-affected counties support creating a fund.

The Talbot sample also leaned toward limits on data centers: 41% said Maryland should significantly limit new data center development, and 39% said data centers should be allowed only with careful planning.

The poll reports that 44% of Talbot respondents who opposed a new bridge cited more traffic on local roads as a reason.

The Maryland Transportation Authority's study page says it expects to publish a combined Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision in November 2026, identifying the Federal Highway Administration's selected alternative. Its timeline shows final design beginning in spring 2028 and construction beginning in summer 2032. The conservancy's own release says no funding has been committed for construction.