Maryland

[TheOneKEA]

Most of the ETLs between 24 and 152 almost look good to go. Basically all that's left is striping. New northbound street name blades have also gone up at multiple overpasses, e.g. Bradshaw and Old Joppa.

Are the E-ZPass gantries under construction yet? I will be interested to see which locations will have gantries installed immediately and which ones will remain unbuilt prior to the next extension north.

[tmoore952]

Haven't really been paying attention to this because my trips from DC area to Delaware, which used to be about 10x a year, have become very rare now due to family changes.

Are these "EZ Pass gantries" going between each interchange (so that, for example, it would no longer be free to drive from I-695 to MD 155 without paying)?

If the answer is yes, is the total toll going to be the same?

MD 200 near me has toll gantries between each interchange, so that is the model I see in my head when I read this.

[TheOneKEA]

Haven't really been paying attention to this because my trips from DC area to Delaware, which used to be about 10x a year, have become very rare now due to family changes.

Are these "EZ Pass gantries" going between each interchange (so that, for example, it would no longer be free to drive from I-695 to MD 155 without paying)?

If the answer is yes, is the total toll going to be the same?

MD 200 near me has toll gantries between each interchange, so that is the model I see in my head when I read this.

The gantries will only be installed over the ETL carriage ways, not the existing 4-lane general purpose carriage ways, and the transponder readers will be aligned to look straight down at the road lanes so that they can only pick up transponders from vehicles in the ETL lanes. A full-length trip from the split north of I-95 Exit 61 to the temporary end point beyond I-95 Exit 77 would traverse a maximum of four active ETL gantries. The total toll for trips between I-95 Exit 61 and I-95 Exit 67 will remain on the same toll schedule but a new schedule will exist for trips past that point.

[tmoore952]

Haven't really been paying attention to this because my trips from DC area to Delaware, which used to be about 10x a year, have become very rare now due to family changes.

Are these "EZ Pass gantries" going between each interchange (so that, for example, it would no longer be free to drive from I-695 to MD 155 without paying)?

If the answer is yes, is the total toll going to be the same?

MD 200 near me has toll gantries between each interchange, so that is the model I see in my head when I read this.

The gantries will only be installed over the ETL carriage ways, not the existing 4-lane general purpose carriage ways, and the transponder readers will be aligned to look straight down at the road lanes so that they can only pick up transponders from vehicles in the ETL lanes. A full-length trip from the split north of I-95 Exit 61 to the temporary end point beyond I-95 Exit 77 would traverse a maximum of four active ETL gantries. The total toll for trips between I-95 Exit 61 and I-95 Exit 67 will remain on the same toll schedule but a new schedule will exist for trips past that point.

Oh I see -- similar to what already exists around Exits 61-67 (IIRC). That did exist before I stopped making that trip regularly.

[epzik8]

Are these "EZ Pass gantries" going between each interchange (so that, for example, it would no longer be free to drive from I-695 to MD 155 without paying)?

This would suck for me as someone who has this as his home stretch of Interstate. Fortunately there's a fat chance of it happening.

[tmoore952]

Yesterday I noticed some interstate shield signs, with square signs underneath have been put up (backwards for now) along:
Clara Barton Parkway EB to I-495 ramp to VA, and I-495 NB ramp to Clara Barton Parkway WB (which is only accessible using I-495 from VA at the north end of the American Legion Bridge).

I regularly drive on Clara Barton Parkway EB to I-495 NB -- which is a cloverleaf ramp -- last night as I went around this cloverleaf I could see one of the signs on the I-495 NB to Clara Barton Parkway WB ramp (which the cloverleaf ramp parallels in the opposite direction - the sign is backwards for now on the other ramp). The interstate shield said I-495 (as you'd expect). The square sign beneath was orange with black letters (indicating a detour or construction, I assume). Unfortunately it was too dark for me to read the sign and also safely navigate the turn, so I could not read the sign.

So it appears there is some work that will be occurring there. But I could not find anything about this on a quick Google search. It'll be a few days before I am back there to look again.

[Mapmikey]

Yesterday I noticed some interstate shield signs, with square signs underneath have been put up (backwards for now) along:
Clara Barton Parkway EB to I-495 ramp to VA, and I-495 NB ramp to Clara Barton Parkway WB (which is only accessible using I-495 from VA at the north end of the American Legion Bridge).

I regularly drive on Clara Barton Parkway EB to I-495 NB -- which is a cloverleaf ramp -- last night as I went around this cloverleaf I could see one of the signs on the I-495 NB to Clara Barton Parkway WB ramp (which the cloverleaf ramp parallels in the opposite direction - the sign is backwards for now on the other ramp). The interstate shield said I-495 (as you'd expect). The square sign beneath was orange with black letters (indicating a detour or construction, I assume). Unfortunately it was too dark for me to read the sign and also safely navigate the turn, so I could not read the sign.

So it appears there is some work that will be occurring there. But I could not find anything about this on a quick Google search. It'll be a few days before I am back there to look again.

Actually this is a convoluted detour for work on the GW Pkwy ramp to 495 SB.

https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/news-events/news/northern-virginia-district/nightly-ramp-closure-from-george-washington-memorial-parkway-to-i-495-south-scheduled-during-weeks-of-february-19-and-26.html

[tmoore952]

Yesterday I noticed some interstate shield signs, with square signs underneath have been put up (backwards for now) along:
Clara Barton Parkway EB to I-495 ramp to VA, and I-495 NB ramp to Clara Barton Parkway WB (which is only accessible using I-495 from VA at the north end of the American Legion Bridge).

I regularly drive on Clara Barton Parkway EB to I-495 NB -- which is a cloverleaf ramp -- last night as I went around this cloverleaf I could see one of the signs on the I-495 NB to Clara Barton Parkway WB ramp (which the cloverleaf ramp parallels in the opposite direction - the sign is backwards for now on the other ramp). The interstate shield said I-495 (as you'd expect). The square sign beneath was orange with black letters (indicating a detour or construction, I assume). Unfortunately it was too dark for me to read the sign and also safely navigate the turn, so I could not read the sign.

So it appears there is some work that will be occurring there. But I could not find anything about this on a quick Google search. It'll be a few days before I am back there to look again.

Actually this is a convoluted detour for work on the GW Pkwy ramp to 495 SB.

https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/news-events/news/northern-virginia-district/nightly-ramp-closure-from-george-washington-memorial-parkway-to-i-495-south-scheduled-during-weeks-of-february-19-and-26.html

This makes sense. U-turn would be done via the Carderock interchange on the Clara Barton Parkway - which is to the west of I-495 -- and therefore the detour would use the two ramps I mention.

No wonder I could not find anything about it when googling about Maryland.

[epzik8]

It's crazy how many people think they own 95 north between 895 and White Marsh on Sunday mornings. At least most heed the work zone warnings past White Marsh.

On a more positive note, there is landscaping work (i.e. tree planting) going on on the Baltimore County side of the LGF on the northbound shoulder, and I can already tell it'll turn our great.

[tmoore952]

On a more positive note, there is landscaping work (i.e. tree planting) going on on the Baltimore County side of the LGF on the northbound shoulder, and I can already tell it'll turn our great.

I live in Maryland and have been driving through the area you mention for almost a handful of decades.

Nevertheless, I do not know what you mean by "LGF". Judging from what you wrote, I am guessing it on a county line somewhere, possibly with Harford?

[dlsterner]

On a more positive note, there is landscaping work (i.e. tree planting) going on on the Baltimore County side of the LGF on the northbound shoulder, and I can already tell it'll turn our great.

I live in Maryland and have been driving through the area you mention for almost a handful of decades.

Nevertheless, I do not know what you mean by "LGF". Judging from what you wrote, I am guessing it on a county line somewhere, possibly with Harford?

Me too ... been living in Maryland the past 43 years (longer than epzik8 has been alive (according to his profile)) yet I'm also drawing a blank with "LGF" ...

(Update: epzik8 might be referring to the Little Gunpowder Falls river)

[tmoore952]

On a more positive note, there is landscaping work (i.e. tree planting) going on on the Baltimore County side of the LGF on the northbound shoulder, and I can already tell it'll turn our great.

I live in Maryland and have been driving through the area you mention for almost a handful of decades.

Nevertheless, I do not know what you mean by "LGF". Judging from what you wrote, I am guessing it on a county line somewhere, possibly with Harford?

Me too ... been living in Maryland the past 43 years (longer than epzik8 has been alive (according to his profile)) yet I'm also drawing a blank with "LGF" ...

(Update: epzik8 might be referring to the Little Gunpowder Falls river)

I also thought Gunpowder Falls by virtue of the county line inference from the earlier post.

But epzik8 also mentions a shoulder, which seems to imply a road.

[Alps]

On a more positive note, there is landscaping work (i.e. tree planting) going on on the Baltimore County side of the LGF on the northbound shoulder, and I can already tell it'll turn our great.

I live in Maryland and have been driving through the area you mention for almost a handful of decades.

Nevertheless, I do not know what you mean by "LGF". Judging from what you wrote, I am guessing it on a county line somewhere, possibly with Harford?

Me too ... been living in Maryland the past 43 years (longer than epzik8 has been alive (according to his profile)) yet I'm also drawing a blank with "LGF" ...

(Update: epzik8 might be referring to the Little Gunpowder Falls river)

I also thought Gunpowder Falls by virtue of the county line inference from the earlier post.

But epzik8 also mentions a shoulder, which seems to imply a road.

the road would be i-95

[epzik8]

What's with the bold Clearview on recent guide signs on 29 north between 100 and I-70? It looks rather hideous.

[ixnay]

What's with the bold Clearview on recent guide signs on 29 north between 100 and I-70? It looks rather hideous.

Are you talking about this for example?

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.2602787,-76.8200506,3a,57.7y,14.06h,91.6t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sO_rcUWtcCiPDuMqxrYSkow!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

Or, do you mean *this* has been replaced since GSV last came through in May of '23?

[FLAVORTOWN]

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.2966879,-76.8165169,3a,75y,268.39h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sWZASNu6vIFPuN3v2E0Bmuw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

I wonder why they bothered to sign 29 North when it ends practically right after the offramp.

Speaking of 29, was this the planned terminus or was it planned to go further up north? It looks like it comes to a sudden end to me for some reason...

[TheOneKEA]

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.2966879,-76.8165169,3a,75y,268.39h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sWZASNu6vIFPuN3v2E0Bmuw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

I wonder why they bothered to sign 29 North when it ends practically right after the offramp.

Speaking of 29, was this the planned terminus or was it planned to go further up north? It looks like it comes to a sudden end to me for some reason...

The divided highway was supposed to continue to the north as part of the Baltimore Outer Beltway. As far as I know there was no specific path for it beyond MD 99 and I don't even know if the highway was supposed to be fully grade separated beyond I-70. I do now that it was intended to continue all the way around the western and northern Baltimore outer suburban area before eventually terminating at US 40.

[The Ghostbuster]

I can't find much information about the Baltimore Outer Beltway, other than four miles of US 29, all of MD 100, and 5.5 miles of MD 43 are all that exist of it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore_Outer_Beltway.

[froggie]

MD 43 was not part of the Outer Beltway, despite what Wikipedia claims.  The 1964 BMATS plan had it a few miles further north.

[The Ghostbuster]

There was also to have been a Washington Outer Beltway: http://www.roadstothefuture.com/Outer_Beltway.html; http://www.roadstothefuture.com/Wash_Bypass.html. However, like the Baltimore Outer Beltway, it never came into fruition.

[Alex4897]

There was also to have been a Washington Outer Beltway: http://www.roadstothefuture.com/Outer_Beltway.html; http://www.roadstothefuture.com/Wash_Bypass.html. However, like the Baltimore Outer Beltway, it never came into fruition.

It's a shame something like the eastern bypass never came to fruition, getting regional pass-thru traffic away from the core of DC would've avoided (or at least alleviated) so many of the problems currently present between Baltimore and Fredericksburg. Past critics of the idea didn't need to look too far up I-95 to find the New Jersey Turnpike as a good example of a road built for regional traffic that doesn't induce the kind of sprawl that a traditional beltway does.

[epzik8]

There was also to have been a Washington Outer Beltway: http://www.roadstothefuture.com/Outer_Beltway.html; http://www.roadstothefuture.com/Wash_Bypass.html. However, like the Baltimore Outer Beltway, it never came into fruition.

It's a shame something like the eastern bypass never came to fruition, getting regional pass-thru traffic away from the core of DC would've avoided (or at least alleviated) so many of the problems currently present between Baltimore and Fredericksburg. Past critics of the idea didn't need to look too far up I-95 to find the New Jersey Turnpike as a good example of a road built for regional traffic that doesn't induce the kind of sprawl that a traditional beltway does.

There is 301, which however has traffic lights...

[mrsman]

There was also to have been a Washington Outer Beltway: http://www.roadstothefuture.com/Outer_Beltway.html; http://www.roadstothefuture.com/Wash_Bypass.html. However, like the Baltimore Outer Beltway, it never came into fruition.

It's a shame something like the eastern bypass never came to fruition, getting regional pass-thru traffic away from the core of DC would've avoided (or at least alleviated) so many of the problems currently present between Baltimore and Fredericksburg. Past critics of the idea didn't need to look too far up I-95 to find the New Jersey Turnpike as a good example of a road built for regional traffic that doesn't induce the kind of sprawl that a traditional beltway does.

Yes.  The original national highway plan of toll roads in the FDR days called for 3 E-W and 3 N-S tollways that would go near, but not through cities.  As we can see with some of the toll roads that were actually built from that era (NJTP, PA, OH) that skirt the outskirts of the towns that they service. 

So let's look at the E-W toll road complex that services Philly, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Toledo without actually going into any of those cities.  The bypass was built as the shortest point of travel, so through traffic has no incentive to leave to go through the big city.  THey effectively serve the traffic without slowdowns except for events of extreme traffic or accidents or road closures.  If there was a funding plan for this, this would have been the blueprint for the interstates nationally, the through highway is a bypass, and spur routes are designed to get into the city.

A national east coast road could potentially serve all the big cities without going through any of them.  The NJTP does this effectively for Philadelphia.  Washington desperately needs this as well.

[Bitmapped]

I was in Oakland yesterday and noticed that MD 219, the stub built for a potential Oakland bypass, is now signed at its intersection with US 219 and MD 135, but only from the US 219 northbound direction. I didn't have time to check to see if it was signed on its north end, but from Google Maps Street View, it does not appear to be.

It appears the MD 219 signs went up at the same time as signs banning trucks over 40 feet. I really don't understand the rationale for actually signing this route because it doesn't connect to anything and just serves to confuse drivers.

[Alps]

I was in Oakland yesterday and noticed that MD 219, the stub built for a potential Oakland bypass, is now signed at its intersection with US 219 and MD 135, but only from the US 219 northbound direction. I didn't have time to check to see if it was signed on its north end, but from Google Maps Street View, it does not appear to be.

It appears the MD 219 signs went up at the same time as signs banning trucks over 40 feet. I really don't understand the rationale for actually signing this route because it doesn't connect to anything and just serves to confuse drivers.

Oh great, another route I have to clinch. (I don't have 825 east of there at least.)