The toll for the Bay Bridge is back into effect after a two-hour break to ease traffic backups.

Toll booths stopped collecting money from drivers at 4 p.m., when eastbound traffic backups stretched for about 2.6 miles. At about 5:15 p.m. delays started about 1 mile from the toll plaza.

Cheryl Sparks, a spokeswoman for the Maryland Transportation Authority, says tolls were into effect at 6 p.m., because there were no delays before the toll plaza.

No backups were reported westbound. An eastbound lane was closed Tuesday for an estimated 10 weeks of emergency repairs to a barrier wall.

The Maryland Transportation Authority advised holiday weekend travelers heading to the Eastern Shore to consider using an alternate route through northeastern Maryland.

Severna Park resident Ann Marie Peterson said, "I think there's going to be a lot of road rage and I think people are going to be furious and they are just going to turn around and go home. They are going to be too angry to go and enjoy themselves."

As the morning progressed and the early rain cleared, the westbound span opened to eastbound traffic. But a mere two lanes are not enough to handle even the normal morning commuter traffic, much less the crush of holiday beach goers making an early start on their long weekend.

In addition to the repairs, the forecast for a labor day traffic nightmare has come true. Beach goers were stuck making the decision of staying home or braving the traffic like Stuart Levin, who tried to leave an extra hour early.

At noon, the traffic message signs warned of a backup less than a mile long, but an hour later it was one mile and has grown steadily ever since.

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The problem lies with three or four lanes of heavy traffic trying to squeezed down to two lanes in order to pay the toll. Then there are the rubberneckers who slow down to look at the much publicized jersey wall repair work.

But Bob Tucker who travels the bridge every week says as far as the repairs are concerned the "criticality is there."

As a result, people have to cope with the delays if they want to sit on the beach this weekend. And for Mr. Levin and his big dog Sam that means being prepared to sit in traffic.

By the end of the day, the bottleneck is expected to balloon as Maryland residents head for the Eastern shore. Travelers are advised to leave early or later and to take I-95 to Delaware, then Route 1 south, rather than trying to cross the bridge.

Officials announced Thursday they have found another section of corrosion on the steel beams in the bridge's concrete sidewalls.

Officials had previously estimated the repairs could take as long as ten weeks, requiring the closure of at least one lane.

In addition, nearly 700,000 people from our area are expected to travel this Labor Day weekend -- more than 80 percent of them by car -- and for many of them the only thing standing between them and the beach is the four-mile long bridge.

Margaret Oliver says her Tuesday bus ride across the bridge was two hours longer than usual. She took three hours vacation today to get home on time.

"I know they're trying to make the bridge safer and I hope it works," she said.

"The fact they have said they're going to put safety first is a good thing, but it has terrible implications for how long it's going to take vacationers to get across the bridge this holiday," said Lon Anderson of Triple-A Mid-Atlantic.

So far, Ocean City hotels report only a few cancellations from deterred drivers. The city's waiting to see how many tourists stick with their plans. And how many decline to brave the bridge.

"I'll swim it before I have to cross it. It will probably be quicker," said Henry Dohonue.