Modern Vespa

Has anyone ridden on the bridge/tunnel that connects the end of the delmarva peninsula to Virginia Beach? I'm sorting through options for a longish ride through the scenery. I'm okay with heights and tunnels, but if it's insane with 90MPH crazy people and/or five miles of open grate, I'm probably going to go a different way.

I did a search, found a little discussion of it, but not much.

I've crossed it many times in a car and the winds off the ocean can be fierce, also heavy traffic is the general rule since its the major north south highway on the east side of the bay

I've done it many times in a car. You could do it but i would be careful on the bridge part if it's windy. Crosswinds there could be a problem. I've seen MC'S do it. Don't know if you have to pay full price which is steep for cars. Have fun

Are you talking about the Harry Nice bridge on 301 ?

I was thinking of riding over to King George to my bank, I'd have to go over the Nice bridge, $3 toll even for bikes. It's a nice bridge A little windy today but it's gorgeous out.

I've taken the Bay bridge in the car going to the eastern shore. I would only take the scoot over it on a very calm day....

Its doable, but I'll share one bad experience just to be a party pooper. A few years ago, I crossed it in a minivan on 4th of July weekend. Traffic was heavy and moving fast. Right at the entrance to one of the tunnels -- a transition point between daylight and tunnel light -- someone had lost something big. Might have been an exhaust, or a fender. Couldn't tell. Hardly saw it and couldn't get out of the way. Didn't do anything to the van, but it could have been messy on a bike.

I'm pretty good with other tunnels. I do the Baltimore Harbor tunnels alot, but the Bridge-Tunnel has me weirded out when talking about two wheels.

I'm looking at the route 13 bridge that connects the tip of delmarva to virginia beach, RCD. It's about 18 miles long, which is kind of ridiculous (man's grasp is long indeed).

My other alternative would be to go around Baltimore and DC on the west side. That's theoretically even faster, but there's some attraction to going south along the entire delmarva.

As an aside, what google maps needs is a better set of routing commands. Avoid certain kinds of roads (not just highways and tolls). Even better would be something that integrated the satellite / terrain / street view data to make rough judgments about how "pretty" the road is. If it's not all that straight, in a relatively green satellite view, with speed limits in the 50 MPH or less range, that's where I want to go.

Gotcha.

I just took a look at a map, lol. I'm not a native Marylander, I didn't know there was another bridge that far south...

It would be nice if they had another bridge between the two connecting southern maryland and the eastern shore.

I've done lots of bridges on the GTS and GTV, and I wouldnt want to do that bridge on a 150 unless I had a friend in a cage right behind me, or I was in a pack of scooters. A 250 would be much better. Remember, a scooterist stalled out on a bridge in NYC a week ago and got run over.

Sorry, Bobo, I just fail to see how having a bigger scooter would have improved THAT situation.

The guy in NYC was riding a vintage Vespa and it had a hard seize from what I can tell. The cage behind him swerved and missed. The 2nd cage didn't. The guy was a well known DJ on his way into Manhattan to play a show. He was not wearing a helmet, so I can assume only he wore no gear at all. The comments on the NY sites were from first-hand accident scene witnesses and they said it was not a good thing to see. The witnesses were on the elevated train/subway that runs on the same bridge.

Ok, I live on the Delmarva Penninsula and ride my 150 ET everywhere. I know both routes you are talking about VERY well, and personally, I would not hesitate to travel either route on my ET provided I was intending to commit SUICIDE!

Hmm, I sense some sort of sarcasm in this post. I'm not good at sarcasm, though.

Sounds like I oughta make sure I travel north and west around DC though, the majority of the opinions are for avoiding the CBB&T. Makes sense. I've plotted quite a few routes that avoid interstates and major roads, they're all looking pretty interesting.

The details for the ride are still kind of sketchy - I'm supposed to meet about five to ten of my World of Warcraft guildmates for a camping trip in VA somewheres. Planning is in the offing, so if anyone has any suggestions for good places to camp in VA, let me know.

Sarcasm... noooo!
It is just my opinion that anybody who would ride a 150 cc scooter through the bay Bridge tunnel or on the Baltimore or Washington beltways, needs their head examined. No offense, it is just an incredibly dangerous proposition. It is not the rider or even the ride so much as the fast moving tonnage spinning around them. There is the point where common sense has to trump desire.

Well, my route around balt-wash doesn't include the beltways (or any other really large roads for that matter). But there's no way to avoid certain bridges, no matter what you do, that's kind of the name of the game when you live on a peninsula.

I have to say (having no experience whatsoever of the conditions observed above) that a good rider should be able to cope with pretty extreme conditions. On a PTW with some sensible mass, granted - and that's what it is down to. Would you ride a pedal-cycle across? Then don't ride a 50cc that weighs about the same.

I'd expect an MP3 500 (Fuoco) or GP800 (Mana) would do just fine, thank you maa'm.

ok i haven't been on a tunnell/bridge that long and wouldn't
even in a truck - my prob.
but you may whant to check a ferry from chrisfield, somerset co md
13 to 413 goes to three locations check to see if they let a vespa on
might be peds only smith island - 3rd trip goes so off map
maybe if you stayed on to other side
-- if up north in del 40 so was used for trf before int sts - lights
balto 2 so near annap over to 301 or 2 to 4 so
bridge at 301 to va. I'd call any bridge about when they stop
scooters

PFOOTI is that a pic of a angora rabbit in your avatar? Sorry for the OT.

I think the biggest deal with that bridge would be the 'freak out" factor. I remember riding along on the bridge and suddenly there was a destroyer right in front of us, suddenly we went down in one of the tunnels and went right underneath it..... Holy schnikies!

Yep, it's an angora rabbit.

Rode the bridge/tunnel both ways one day last summer and felt quite comfortable with the GT200. They have really cracked down on the speeders and except for the tunnels the north and south routes are separated. If you are not an experienced rider and the wind is strong it could be a bit unnerving.

Enjoy!
John

If you decide against the Virgina Beach Bridge the Bay Bridge is very doable on a 150.. I forgot which lane it was but there is one lane with no steel grating down the middle. The other two lane have grating anout 3 ft wide running parallel to your travel direction, they are not running the width of the bridge...
Watch the winds and the draft coming off of the high sided vehicle...
The other part to watch is the speed limit on 50 is 65 outside of Annapolis.
I would bail off on 2 and find another way to 301 south. ( 214 Central Ave is a nice cut over in Edgewater.)

I mapped a theoretical trip from Wilmington DE to Virginia Beach. Your choices are to either go down 13 to the bridge/tunnel, take one of the Baltimore tunnels, take the Bay Bridge to Annapolis and down or use the Key Bridge.

I mapped it for the Key Bridge, and then down 301 and into VA Beach the back way. 301 is not a bad drive, I think it has more going for it than 13 down the Delmarva, which I have also driven.

Only you can determine your comfort factor for any route, bridge or tunnel. I did the Bay Bridge once on my Suzuki cruiser, and I was not thrilled. I have driven and hauled my RV through the bridge/tunnel and along with the potential for winds, my biggest issue is that if there is an accident part way in, you will be stuck there forever until it's cleared. I sat on the approach to the Harbor Tunnel for several hours due to an accident. I prefer surface roads where I may be able to get a detour. YMMV.

Google Map

If you're going to do Central Ave (MD 214) from Annapolis, the exit to Rt 301 South is closed for repairs until the Second Coming or the money runs out. You could get off at Governor Bridge Road (1st right off 214 after the bridge over the Pax River). Twisty back road leads to 301 South with a stop light.

Or go down MD 2 to MD 4, and take that to 301 South at Upper Marlboro. Be VERY careful merging onto 301 - speed demons like to fly through the 301 on/off lane under MD 4.

Take rt 2 to the circle and cut through Waysons Corner..

I've just "wiki'ed" the CBBT to see what you're facing.

Impressive bit of engineering.


I'd happily tackle it on a GT200 or larger. we don't have bridges like that in the UK but the Humber or Severn bridges can be subject to pretty extreme winds - I've tackled the Humber bridge on a P2 in pretty damn strong winds (it was closed to goods vehicles but we were allowed to cross) Come the journey home it was closed to all traffic!

And I've been across the Severn in not much better.


I've no experience of an LX 150 though so I can't comment on that bike's handling but looking at the bridge I'd imagine the cross winds would be more or less stable compared to a suspension bridge.
The main problem I experienced on the UK bridges was the fact that as suspension bridges, when you go past the masts the wind disappears. So just as you've got used to applying a set degree of lean to stay in a straight line you then go past a blip where you need to jerk upright and then go back to leaning. Can be a bit disconcerting if you've not experienced it before but the CBBT looks like the cross winds would be fairly consistent.

I'd say if wind speeds are consistent then go for it. If they're gusting strongly you may want to reconsider.