MD-295, The Baltimore - Washington Parkway

Started by bing101, March 09, 2019, 08:31:16 PM

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bing101



Mapmikey

Potholes are so bad on the B-W Pkwy this year that the NPS just lowered the speed limit to 40 mph between MD 197 and MD 32.

The potholes in the DC area have been worse this year than the last couple, at least where I regularly go...

dlsterner

Quote from: Mapmikey on March 09, 2019, 09:20:49 PM
Potholes are so bad on the B-W Pkwy this year that the NPS just lowered the speed limit to 40 mph between MD 197 and MD 32.

The potholes in the DC area have been worse this year than the last couple, at least where I regularly go...
Unfortunately I have to drive that daily (well Mon-Fri).  It's like a mine field masquerading as a highway.  So everybody ends up getting into the left lane which is in better shape - which leads to its own set of problems.

MASTERNC

Quote from: Mapmikey on March 09, 2019, 09:20:49 PM
Potholes are so bad on the B-W Pkwy this year that the NPS just lowered the speed limit to 40 mph between MD 197 and MD 32.

The potholes in the DC area have been worse this year than the last couple, at least where I regularly go...

It was bad enough four weeks ago.  Went down there again and exited onto the Beltway and I-95 when leaving DC instead of staying on the Parkway (GPS was going to take me the B-W Parkway and then I-895, which had single lane bridge and tunnel construction this weekend).

epzik8

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NJRoadfan

Quote from: MASTERNC on March 10, 2019, 08:19:33 PM
It was bad enough four weeks ago.  Went down there again and exited onto the Beltway and I-95 when leaving DC instead of staying on the Parkway (GPS was going to take me the B-W Parkway and then I-895, which had single lane bridge and tunnel construction this weekend).

The NPS section is looking worse than the section maintained by the City of Baltimore! Impressive in a not so good way. One can take the Parkway to I-95, but it involves a bumpy ride for a mile while in city limits.

TheOneKEA

I have heard anecdotally that signs have been posted at the NPS maintenance boundary that loudly and conspicuously advertise that MD 295 south of there is not maintained by the SHA. Does anyone have any photos of these signs?

NJRoadfan

They aren't that big, but larger than most jurisdictional boundary markers.

https://goo.gl/maps/eucfi7W93ow

They are a recent installation as there were much smaller signs there prior to 2017.


tolbs17

And I've been on there many times, I don't get why it's only four lanes. It sucks as it gets so congested! It needs to be 6 or 8 lanes all the way. It's a nice bypass of I-95. My dad has also been complaining that it needs widening and I agree with him as well.

cpzilliacus

Quote from: mrhappy1261 on July 25, 2019, 05:22:09 PM
And I've been on there many times, I don't get why it's only four lanes. It sucks as it gets so congested! It needs to be 6 or 8 lanes all the way. It's a nice bypass of I-95. My dad has also been complaining that it needs widening and I agree with him as well.

Problem in that the Parkway is owned by the National Park Service (NPS), a unit of the U.S. Department of the Interior between the southern end at U.S. 50 in the Tuxedo area of Prince George's County, Maryland and just south of the interchange at MD-175 in the Odenton area of Anne Arundel County, a distance of about 19 miles one-way.  NPS is chronically under-funded and cannot afford a widening project like that (and has difficulty keeping the parkways it owns properly maintained as it s).  North of MD-175 the Parkway is maintained by the MDOT/SHA, except for the short portion in Baltimore City leading to I-95, which is under municipal maintenance.

Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

tolbs17

Quote from: cpzilliacus on July 25, 2019, 08:13:13 PM
Quote from: mrhappy1261 on July 25, 2019, 05:22:09 PM
And I've been on there many times, I don't get why it's only four lanes. It sucks as it gets so congested! It needs to be 6 or 8 lanes all the way. It's a nice bypass of I-95. My dad has also been complaining that it needs widening and I agree with him as well.

Problem in that the Parkway is owned by the National Park Service (NPS), a unit of the U.S. Department of the Interior between the southern end at U.S. 50 in the Tuxedo area of Prince George's County, Maryland and just south of the interchange at MD-175 in the Odenton area of Anne Arundel County, a distance of about 19 miles one-way.  NPS is chronically under-funded and cannot afford a widening project like that (and has difficulty keeping the parkways it owns properly maintained as it s).  North of MD-175 the Parkway is maintained by the MDOT/SHA, except for the short portion in Baltimore City leading to I-95, which is under municipal maintenance.

Well that sucks that it cannot be widened. People have also been debating that they should add a bike lane in each direction.

sprjus4

Quote from: mrhappy1261 on July 27, 2019, 04:04:02 PM
People have also been debating that they should add a bike lane in each direction.
Maybe an off-road multi-use trail, but a bike lane would be extremely dangerous on a roadway that serves as a major freeway.

The Ghostbuster

I think MD-295 should have exit numbers (mileage-based, of course). Most of the other freeways/tollways in Maryland have exit numbers.

tolbs17

Quote from: sprjus4 on July 27, 2019, 04:24:00 PM
Quote from: mrhappy1261 on July 27, 2019, 04:04:02 PM
People have also been debating that they should add a bike lane in each direction.
Maybe an off-road multi-use trail, but a bike lane would be extremely dangerous on a roadway that serves as a major freeway.

Yeah, have trees around the bike lanes make it a trail, that parallels the highway.

tolbs17

Quote from: The Ghostbuster on July 27, 2019, 04:28:44 PM
I think MD-295 should have exit numbers (mileage-based, of course). Most of the other freeways/tollways in Maryland have exit numbers.

I also don't get how it looks like. It doesn't even look like an expressway or freeway. It looks like a major throughfare without exit numbers and what not. Thats probably why the speed limit is only 55.

sprjus4

Quote from: mrhappy1261 on July 27, 2019, 04:31:36 PM
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on July 27, 2019, 04:28:44 PM
I think MD-295 should have exit numbers (mileage-based, of course). Most of the other freeways/tollways in Maryland have exit numbers.

I also don't get how it looks like. It doesn't even look like an expressway or freeway. It looks like a major throughfare without exit numbers and what not. Thats probably why the speed limit is only 55.
You see highways like this all over New York City and the surrounding areas. There's the parkways which have substandard designs and then you have the expressways which are mostly interstate highways that still are substandard.

tolbs17

Quote from: sprjus4 on July 27, 2019, 04:34:21 PM
Quote from: mrhappy1261 on July 27, 2019, 04:31:36 PM
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on July 27, 2019, 04:28:44 PM
I think MD-295 should have exit numbers (mileage-based, of course). Most of the other freeways/tollways in Maryland have exit numbers.

I also don't get how it looks like. It doesn't even look like an expressway or freeway. It looks like a major throughfare without exit numbers and what not. Thats probably why the speed limit is only 55.
You see highways like this all over New York City and the surrounding areas. There's the parkways which have substandard designs and then you have the expressways which are mostly interstate highways that still are substandard.

I mean, they are nice to drive on but there's no way to upgrade them to interstate standards.

mrsman

Quote from: mrhappy1261 on July 27, 2019, 05:21:11 PM
Quote from: sprjus4 on July 27, 2019, 04:34:21 PM
Quote from: mrhappy1261 on July 27, 2019, 04:31:36 PM
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on July 27, 2019, 04:28:44 PM
I think MD-295 should have exit numbers (mileage-based, of course). Most of the other freeways/tollways in Maryland have exit numbers.

I also don't get how it looks like. It doesn't even look like an expressway or freeway. It looks like a major throughfare without exit numbers and what not. Thats probably why the speed limit is only 55.
You see highways like this all over New York City and the surrounding areas. There's the parkways which have substandard designs and then you have the expressways which are mostly interstate highways that still are substandard.

I mean, they are nice to drive on but there's no way to upgrade them to interstate standards.

I hope that the governor will push to take over the BW Pkwy from the National Park Service.  If the road were under state jurisdiction, we can upgrade the road and put in toll lanes to widen the stretch between MD 175 (about halfway between DC and Baltimore) and the DC line.  Currently, it's a 2-2 roadway, with a lot of deficiencies in design and signage.  Perhaps they can even upgrade it for truck usage as trucks are allowed on the MD-295 and DC-295 portions south of NPS's zone of maintenance.

The BW Parkway is the only direct roadway (without signals) from Baltimore to DC.  The roadway is busy enough to justify 3-3 free or 2-2-2-2 (with middle lanes being toll lanes).  A reversible tollway of 2-2-2 may also work, but 2-2-2-2 is preferred.

I believe that the widening of the Parkway would not require too many houses and businesses being condemned, because the Parkway has a wide median and otherwise has a generous ROW.  [There is some consternation over proposed Beltway widening because of the loss to homes and businesses, especially in the Silver Spring area.]

tolbs17

Quote from: mrsman on July 28, 2019, 12:01:15 PM
Quote from: mrhappy1261 on July 27, 2019, 05:21:11 PM
Quote from: sprjus4 on July 27, 2019, 04:34:21 PM
Quote from: mrhappy1261 on July 27, 2019, 04:31:36 PM
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on July 27, 2019, 04:28:44 PM
I think MD-295 should have exit numbers (mileage-based, of course). Most of the other freeways/tollways in Maryland have exit numbers.

I also don't get how it looks like. It doesn't even look like an expressway or freeway. It looks like a major throughfare without exit numbers and what not. Thats probably why the speed limit is only 55.
You see highways like this all over New York City and the surrounding areas. There's the parkways which have substandard designs and then you have the expressways which are mostly interstate highways that still are substandard.

I mean, they are nice to drive on but there's no way to upgrade them to interstate standards.

I hope that the governor will push to take over the BW Pkwy from the National Park Service.  If the road were under state jurisdiction, we can upgrade the road and put in toll lanes to widen the stretch between MD 175 (about halfway between DC and Baltimore) and the DC line.  Currently, it's a 2-2 roadway, with a lot of deficiencies in design and signage.  Perhaps they can even upgrade it for truck usage as trucks are allowed on the MD-295 and DC-295 portions south of NPS's zone of maintenance.

The BW Parkway is the only direct roadway (without signals) from Baltimore to DC.  The roadway is busy enough to justify 3-3 free or 2-2-2-2 (with middle lanes being toll lanes).  A reversible tollway of 2-2-2 may also work, but 2-2-2-2 is preferred.

I believe that the widening of the Parkway would not require too many houses and businesses being condemned, because the Parkway has a wide median and otherwise has a generous ROW.  [There is some consternation over proposed Beltway widening because of the loss to homes and businesses, especially in the Silver Spring area.]
It's about time they widen it because it can only hold maybe 40,000 or 50,000 vehicles per day. The beltway and route 32 interchanges SUCK.

Route 32 interchange should be relocated south of the original one.

Rothman

Any governor that would push to take over a facility that needs millions to fix would be an absolute idiot.  There is no way MD could absorb that kind of fiscal liability.

Just give the NPS the funding to fix the road!
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

Alps

Quote from: Rothman on July 28, 2019, 12:47:17 PM
Any governor that would push to take over a facility that needs millions to fix would be an absolute idiot.  There is no way MD could absorb that kind of fiscal liability.

Just give the NPS the funding to fix the road!
:-D
"Just have the Federal government fund road repairs!"
Man. I want what you're having. And more lanes on the BW.

Rothman



Quote from: Alps on July 28, 2019, 02:37:58 PM
Quote from: Rothman on July 28, 2019, 12:47:17 PM
Any governor that would push to take over a facility that needs millions to fix would be an absolute idiot.  There is no way MD could absorb that kind of fiscal liability.

Just give the NPS the funding to fix the road!
:-D
"Just have the Federal government fund road repairs!"
Man. I want what you're having. And more lanes on the BW.

Huh?  The bulk of transportation funding is federal.  NYSDOT's federal spending is probably around 70% of its capital program.  So, yes, fund the NPS, feds, rather than squeeze that liability into MD's capital program.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

sprjus4

Quote from: Rothman on July 28, 2019, 03:47:48 PM
NYSDOT's federal spending is probably around 70% of its capital program.
NYSDOT is not MDOT.

Rothman

Quote from: sprjus4 on July 28, 2019, 03:53:15 PM
Quote from: Rothman on July 28, 2019, 03:47:48 PM
NYSDOT's federal spending is probably around 70% of its capital program.
NYSDOT is not MDOT.
And I bet MD and most states have a similar split due to the federal apportionment formulas and state tax revenues.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.



Opinions expressed here on belong solely to the poster and do not represent or reflect the opinions or beliefs of AARoads, its creators and/or associates.