Maryland

[1995hoo]

I think that this sign on MD 210 is the only time that a route reference in text has been on a speed limit sign that I know of.  (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10217882421412692&set=a.10217882434013007)

I'm sure it's because of the service road to the right. It's a new sign–Street View has September 2022 imagery just to the north in which that sign is there, but when you click further south to try to see it, it jumps back to June 2022 and the sign isn't there.

[epzik8]

Explanation?????

[odditude]

https://chart.maryland.gov/incidents/index.php says "roadwork"

[famartin]

Explanation?????

They closed I-895 southbound for construction.
https://mdta.maryland.gov/blog-category/mdta-traffic-advisories/work-result-temporary-closure-southbound-i-895-moravia-road

[roadwaywiz95]

Our next installment in the "Virtual Tour" series is a special New Year's Eve edition that will take place on Saturday (12/31) at 3 PM ET (please note the difference in start time). Come join me and members of the AARoads community as we profile Interstates 97 and 83 across central Maryland and southern Pennsylvania and discuss the history and features of these highways all while enjoying a real-time video trip along the length of two of America's shortest mainline interstate highways.

A link to the event location can be found below and we look forward to seeing you in attendance:

[MASTERNC]

Sounds like Gov. Hogan made one outgoing designation to advance widening of I-81

https://governor.maryland.gov/2023/01/03/governor-hogan-announces-funding-to-advance-100-million-i-81-project-critical-for-western-maryland-regional-supply-chain/

[Jmiles32]

Sounds like Gov. Hogan made one outgoing designation to advance widening of I-81

https://governor.maryland.gov/2023/01/03/governor-hogan-announces-funding-to-advance-100-million-i-81-project-critical-for-western-maryland-regional-supply-chain/

Glad to see this much needed project finally moving forward. Are there any designs available yet for how Maryland plans to upgrade the three interchanges along this stretch? The I-70 one in particular I'm curious about as currently there does not appear to be enough room for a third lane underneath those bridges.

[froggie]

Sounds like Gov. Hogan made one outgoing designation to advance widening of I-81

https://governor.maryland.gov/2023/01/03/governor-hogan-announces-funding-to-advance-100-million-i-81-project-critical-for-western-maryland-regional-supply-chain/

Glad to see this much needed project finally moving forward. Are there any designs available yet for how Maryland plans to upgrade the three interchanges along this stretch? The I-70 one in particular I'm curious about as currently there does not appear to be enough room for a third lane underneath those bridges.

There's approximately 36ft of median (measured as edge-of-lane to edge-of-lane) under I-70.  That's enough for 2 more lanes but not enough to also carry full shoulders.

Did some digging and found SHA's INFRA Grant Application for this project.  The attached tech drawing suggests that they're ONLY going to add lanes to the inside and repave the existing lanes and Halfway Blvd interchange.  Construction will end just north of Halfway Blvd.

There's also a link to the 2004 EA and FONSI.  This is the basis for future phases to bring the widening up to the Pennsylvania line.  The only "interchange improvements" the EA considers for future phases are a rebuild of the I-70/I-81 ramps to provide wider radii on the loops, replacing the I-70 bridges over I-81, the possibility of C/D roads on I-81 between I-70 and Halfway Blvd, and removing the 2 on-ramp loops at both US 40/National Pike (Exit 6) and Showalter Rd (Exit 10) to eliminate weaving.

[bluecountry]

Sounds like Gov. Hogan made one outgoing designation to advance widening of I-81

https://governor.maryland.gov/2023/01/03/governor-hogan-announces-funding-to-advance-100-million-i-81-project-critical-for-western-maryland-regional-supply-chain/

Thanks god.
What really needs to be done is:

1.  Complete redo of the 70/270/15 interchange
2.  Ditto for the 70/81

Those cloverleafs are dated for a much smaller era of traffic.

[jmacswimmer]

Update from MDTA on the AET conversion at the Fort McHenry Tunnel:

[Henry]

Triple Bridges website: http://bit.ly/TripleBridges. Design-Build. No details yet. D-B team to be selected early 2024.

Have a survey:
https://twitter.com/mdsha/status/1590479792230604801

While I'm sure many of us would be sad to see the stack interchange go, I think we can all agree that it was an impractical idea from the start, as the freeway to the east had virtually no chance of being completed and, as a result, dead-ended at a Park & Ride with very little traffic. Maybe things would've been different if the whole thing was done as planned, but we will never know now. As for the interchange replacement itself, I see the existing NB-WB and EB-NB movements retained as flyovers, but two loop ramps (SB-EB and WB-SB) and a C-D road southbound as the major changes to it. Even without that Red Line, I still think that Cooks Blvd (the modified at-grade realignment with an intersection standing in for Exit 94) should be done anyway, as there really is no need for an interchange at MD 122, given how light traffic is.

[epzik8]

Update from MDTA on the AET conversion at the Fort McHenry Tunnel:

Gonna miss the old tollbooth

[TheOneKEA]

Sounds like Gov. Hogan made one outgoing designation to advance widening of I-81

https://governor.maryland.gov/2023/01/03/governor-hogan-announces-funding-to-advance-100-million-i-81-project-critical-for-western-maryland-regional-supply-chain/

Thanks god.
What really needs to be done is:

1.  Complete redo of the 70/270/15 interchange
2.  Ditto for the 70/81

Those cloverleafs are dated for a much smaller era of traffic.

Are there current problems with the 70/270/15 interchange? I always felt that the serious pinch point in Frederick was the absence of a flyover for US 15's northbound movement from US 340 east to US 40 west. That left turn at the eastern edge of the interchange where the freeway transitions to Jefferson Street is a serious impediment to free-flowing movements through the interchange, and the US 40 carriage ways are already grade separated and laid out for a flyover to merge in anyway.

[Dirt Roads]

Sounds like Gov. Hogan made one outgoing designation to advance widening of I-81

https://governor.maryland.gov/2023/01/03/governor-hogan-announces-funding-to-advance-100-million-i-81-project-critical-for-western-maryland-regional-supply-chain/

Thanks god.
What really needs to be done is:

1.  Complete redo of the 70/270/15 interchange
2.  Ditto for the 70/81

Those cloverleafs are dated for a much smaller era of traffic.

Are there current problems with the 70/270/15 interchange? I always felt that the serious pinch point in Frederick was the absence of a flyover for US 15's northbound movement from US 340 east to US 40 west. That left turn at the eastern edge of the interchange where the freeway transitions to Jefferson Street is a serious impediment to free-flowing movements through the interchange, and the US 40 carriage ways are already grade separated and laid out for a flyover to merge in anyway.

There is a left turn movement from US-340 onto the ramp for northbound US-15, but there is still a parclo leaf remaining from the original cloverleaf for the same movement.  This loop ramp looks has been there for quite some time, but I wonder if it was removed for a while and then added back.  I still remember this interchange as a full cloverleaf, so there have probably been several changes since the days when I used this movement frequently.

[epzik8]

It figures there would be a speed trap on 95 north as soon as you get on in White Marsh.

[jmacswimmer]

Sounds like Gov. Hogan made one outgoing designation to advance widening of I-81

https://governor.maryland.gov/2023/01/03/governor-hogan-announces-funding-to-advance-100-million-i-81-project-critical-for-western-maryland-regional-supply-chain/

Thanks god.
What really needs to be done is:

1.  Complete redo of the 70/270/15 interchange
2.  Ditto for the 70/81

Those cloverleafs are dated for a much smaller era of traffic.

Are there current problems with the 70/270/15 interchange? I always felt that the serious pinch point in Frederick was the absence of a flyover for US 15's northbound movement from US 340 east to US 40 west. That left turn at the eastern edge of the interchange where the freeway transitions to Jefferson Street is a serious impediment to free-flowing movements through the interchange, and the US 40 carriage ways are already grade separated and laid out for a flyover to merge in anyway.

There is a left turn movement from US-340 onto the ramp for northbound US-15, but there is still a parclo leaf remaining from the original cloverleaf for the same movement.  This loop ramp looks has been there for quite some time, but I wonder if it was removed for a while and then added back.  I still remember this interchange as a full cloverleaf, so there have probably been several changes since the days when I used this movement frequently.

The original loop ramp has always been in service, and I believe the left-turn was added to supplement it (similar to the US 29 NB -> I-70 WB situation) as part of the interchange modification project that removed the US 40 WB -> US 15 SB/US 340 WB loop ramp and replaced it with a left-turn at the top of the Jefferson St ramp. A flyover for US 15 NB would certainly help, but I'm not sure how you squeeze it in with the proximity of the MD 180/Ballenger Creek Pike interchange to the southwest & the US 40/Patrick St interchange to the north.

Otherwise the only recurring problem I can think of at that interchange is congestion on I-70 WB during the afternoon commute (especially heavy on Fridays), but I think that has more to do with I-70's 2-lane capacity leading out of the interchange towards Hagerstown. (That said, the current lane situation is also less than ideal - 3 lanes enter the interchange along I-70 WB, it briefly swells to 5 lanes with the left onramp from I-270 NB, then shrinks to 2 within a half-mile as the 2 right lanes exit-only for I-270 SB & US 15 SB/US 340 WB combined with the left-most lane ending.)

[MASTERNC]

It figures there would be a speed trap on 95 north as soon as you get on in White Marsh.

Yep.  It does nothing to boot because there have been multiple accidents further up in the work zone as drivers resume their high speeds.  If anything, Maryland should take a page from its northern neighbor and place its cameras somewhere other than prior to entering a work zone.

[bsmart]

Sounds like Gov. Hogan made one outgoing designation to advance widening of I-81

https://governor.maryland.gov/2023/01/03/governor-hogan-announces-funding-to-advance-100-million-i-81-project-critical-for-western-maryland-regional-supply-chain/

Thanks god.
What really needs to be done is:

1.  Complete redo of the 70/270/15 interchange
2.  Ditto for the 70/81

Those cloverleafs are dated for a much smaller era of traffic.

Are there current problems with the 70/270/15 interchange? I always felt that the serious pinch point in Frederick was the absence of a flyover for US 15's northbound movement from US 340 east to US 40 west. That left turn at the eastern edge of the interchange where the freeway transitions to Jefferson Street is a serious impediment to free-flowing movements through the interchange, and the US 40 carriage ways are already grade separated and laid out for a flyover to merge in anyway.

There is a left turn movement from US-340 onto the ramp for northbound US-15, but there is still a parclo leaf remaining from the original cloverleaf for the same movement.  This loop ramp looks has been there for quite some time, but I wonder if it was removed for a while and then added back.  I still remember this interchange as a full cloverleaf, so there have probably been several changes since the days when I used this movement frequently.

The original loop ramp has always been in service, and I believe the left-turn was added to supplement it (similar to the US 29 NB -> I-70 WB situation) as part of the interchange modification project that removed the US 40 WB -> US 15 SB/US 340 WB loop ramp and replaced it with a left-turn at the top of the Jefferson St ramp. A flyover for US 15 NB would certainly help, but I'm not sure how you squeeze it in with the proximity of the MD 180/Ballenger Creek Pike interchange to the southwest & the US 40/Patrick St interchange to the north.

Otherwise the only recurring problem I can think of at that interchange is congestion on I-70 WB during the afternoon commute (especially heavy on Fridays), but I think that has more to do with I-70's 2-lane capacity leading out of the interchange towards Hagerstown. (That said, the current lane situation is also less than ideal - 3 lanes enter the interchange along I-70 WB, it briefly swells to 5 lanes with the left onramp from I-270 NB, then shrinks to 2 within a half-mile as the 2 right lanes exit-only for I-270 SB & US 15 SB/US 340 WB combined with the left-most lane ending.)

At US-15 and 340 the righthand loop to north 15 was SUPPOSED to be closed when the new left hand ramp opened.  It was an era when they were trying to close as many traditional cloverleafs as possible because of conflicts from people exiting and entering in the same short space.  When they opened the 'new' left hand ramp and closed the righthand loop traffic was snarled as through trucks suddenly tried to move across two lanes of traffic at the last minute only to get tangled with local commuters who were trying to go to downtown Frederick along Jefferson St. (what the road continues as after 340 ends)  As a 'temporary measure' they reopened the ramp and then made it permanent and put in the curb and knockdown poles so that once you commited to the loop you stayed committed.  The loop from 40 (what that short section of expressway between I-70 and Jefferson St actually is) up to 340/15 south was replaced with the ramp up to Jefferson St with a light controlled left to Southbound 340/15.

As far as the I-70/270 interchange I've given up hope that it can be fixed.  The work they are just finishing (at least I think they are finishing) on the MD-85/I-270 interchange is still becoming 'known' to the locals.  Many don't realize that the ramp coming onto 270 from Eastbound 70 now continues until the northbound MD-85 exit (lots of traffic going to Sam's Club, Walmart, and Lowes, etc)  so they fight to move to the left only to come back to the right when they realize the lane continues to where they want to get off.

Coming out 270 and going west on 70 is always an adventure.  Do you stay in the far left lane and hope (or force) your way one to the right when your lane ends or do you take the right lane and hope that truck barrelling up 70 stays in the lane he is in or slides left into your lane.  Then when it all comes quickly to a crawl do you stay with the two thru lanes or do you push right and get onto the exit collector for 340 and stay on it till it rejoins I-70 in which case you play dodge-em with the cars coming south from 15 who are trying to get over to go south on 15/340 (They should have taken the ramp from 15 south to Jefferson St 15/340 south before they got that far but the signs encourage them to do it this way.  The same with all the Montgomery County people who came up I-270 and want to get on 340 to go to the Casino out 340 in Charlestown.  The signs direct them up I-70 west and then tell them to cut across 3 lanes of traffic (all of I-70 coming from Baltimore) to take the exit for 340 West.  It should be signed to go up to Jefferson street to go out 340.  And this is the solution after we lived through over 10 years of building and rebuilding that entire spaghetti bowl.

They need to at least  1)  direct  340/15S traffic up to Jefferson street instead of onto 70 from 270 (I would like to see them send traffic from 70 that way to and close the ramp to 340 off 70 and just use that collector to get traffic from 15 to 70);  2) widen I-70 at least from where270 joins (don't make the left lane merge right) past Mt Phillip Rd (where the 3rd lane begins for the long upgrade up Braddock Heights).  But what do I know I've only been driving it for 30 years.

[ixnay]

Introducing Berlin's newest stoplight...

https://www.oceancitytoday.com/news/signal-on-at-dangerous-berlin-intersection/article_6c5a1050-9829-11ed-aeaf-e70d3970de64.html

[jmacswimmer]

Governor Wes Moore, following his inauguration last Wednesday, has announced his nominee for transportation secretary and it's someone the DMV is familiar with:

https://www.wbaltv.com/article/paul-wiedefeld-maryland-transportation-secretary-nominee/42642055

ANNAPOLIS, Md. –
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Tuesday named Paul Wiedefeld the state's nominee for secretary of transportation.

Wiedefeld, whose appointment is pending Senate confirmation, most recently served as the general manager of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

Transportation plays a big role in Moore's plans for Maryland's future, whether it's dealing with congestion closer to the American Legion Bridge, bringing back east-west transit in Baltimore City through the resurgence of the Red Line rail project, addressing delays to the Purple Line, and MARC's recent outage.

Assuming the Senate confirmation proceeds uneventfully, up next comes the interesting part of seeing what happens with the Legion Bridge & I-495/I-270.

[davewiecking]

Governor Wes Moore, following his inauguration last Wednesday, has announced his nominee for transportation secretary and it's someone the DMV is familiar with:

https://www.wbaltv.com/article/paul-wiedefeld-maryland-transportation-secretary-nominee/42642055

ANNAPOLIS, Md. –
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Tuesday named Paul Wiedefeld the state's nominee for secretary of transportation.

Wiedefeld, whose appointment is pending Senate confirmation, most recently served as the general manager of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

Transportation plays a big role in Moore's plans for Maryland's future, whether it's dealing with congestion closer to the American Legion Bridge, bringing back east-west transit in Baltimore City through the resurgence of the Red Line rail project, addressing delays to the Purple Line, and MARC's recent outage.

Assuming the Senate confirmation proceeds uneventfully, up next comes the interesting part of seeing what happens with the Legion Bridge & I-495/I-270.

Interesting. Wiedefeld isn't a road guy. Hello, Baltimore Red Line!

[epzik8]

It seems like SHA has replaced the US 1 Bus. shields in Bel Air from Tollgate southward so many times. I saw what looked like another new one today at the south end.

[TheOneKEA]

Governor Wes Moore, following his inauguration last Wednesday, has announced his nominee for transportation secretary and it's someone the DMV is familiar with:

https://www.wbaltv.com/article/paul-wiedefeld-maryland-transportation-secretary-nominee/42642055

ANNAPOLIS, Md. –
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Tuesday named Paul Wiedefeld the state's nominee for secretary of transportation.

Wiedefeld, whose appointment is pending Senate confirmation, most recently served as the general manager of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

Transportation plays a big role in Moore's plans for Maryland's future, whether it's dealing with congestion closer to the American Legion Bridge, bringing back east-west transit in Baltimore City through the resurgence of the Red Line rail project, addressing delays to the Purple Line, and MARC's recent outage.

Assuming the Senate confirmation proceeds uneventfully, up next comes the interesting part of seeing what happens with the Legion Bridge & I-495/I-270.

Interesting. Wiedefeld isn't a road guy. Hello, Baltimore Red Line!

There's a lot of MARC-related projects that I would like to see built, but there's a lot more road-related projects (like the US 50 grade separation between US 301 and MD 404 inclusive) that I would also like to see built. I hope the SHA isn't starved of its share of the budget, and I hope the MdTA is given free rein to do its thing in the bond markets to continue their ongoing and future construction work.

[74/171FAN]

(From DelDOT though this is related to MD 568, the detour does include DE roads such as DE 54)  TRAFFIC ALERT - Sussex County - Maryland Road Closure to Detour Traffic on Delaware Roads

[kernals12]

I might be starting a job in the near future based in Annapolis Junction, does Maryland have any plans to relieve the congestion on MD-32?


The freeway is currently only 4 lanes between 95 and the BWP, but clearly has space for more.