Maryland

[Beltway]

Though there is still the problem of access to U.S. 50 from every other intersecting highway because of the heavy volumes of traffic on 50 (sometimes both ways).

Service roads and overpasses would provide for circulation of local traffic and access to the interchanges.

There are a few homes and businesses that depend on direct access to U.S. 50 (and do not face any other roads), but I suppose that could be dealt with.  Though I don't know what would be done with access to St. Peter's Catholic Church (Google Maps here), which stands hard by the westbound lanes of the highway (and has no other access to the highway network).

Several different methods were proposed, including service roads, and possibly bypassing that section with about 2 miles of new location US-50.  That section near the church also has issues with the degree of some of the vertical and horizontal curves.

[cpzilliacus]

Washington Post: Walter Reed traffic study masks daily misery on the roads, experts say

[cpzilliacus]

Baltimore Sun: Wilson Bridge, 34 others being checked for possible structural defects

Grout used to protect steel support cables in the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, which carries Interstate 95 over the Potomac River, may be contaminated with an excessive level of chloride, a corroding substance known to accelerate rusting.

The Federal Highway Administration warned 21 states – including Maryland –that as many as three dozen bridges were built with possibly defective grout manufactured in Ohio between November 2002 and March 2010.

Chloride-contaminated grout was blamed in the collapse of a pedestrian walkway at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. in 2000, injuring more than 100 fans.

[Beltway]

<<< Chloride-contaminated grout was blamed in the collapse of a pedestrian walkway at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. in 2000, injuring more than 100 fans. >>>

I've seen the final report, and there was a serious blunder in the construction inspection with regard to very high content of corrosive chloride.

I highly doubt that WWB or any other bridge built since then has this problem. 

[cpzilliacus]

 Michael S. Rosenwald in the Washington Post: Md. town wants a stop sign camera

[cpzilliacus]

WBOC-TV (Channel 16): State Discussing Two-Way Barriers on The Bay Bridge

The Maryland Transportation Authority is considering placing safety barriers on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge when there is two-way traffic.

Roxanne Hollis of Centreville, Md. uses the bridge every week. She says, barriers between lanes would make people feel more comfortable.

[cpzilliacus]

Had business on the Delmarva Peninsula today, and crossed the  William Preston Lane, Jr. (Bay) Bridge for the first time in quite a few months.

Was taken aback to see the massive scaffolding that the MdTA's painting contractor has erected all the way from the bottom of the suspension towers nearly all the way to the top of the west tower on the westbound (1972) span, and above the road deck on the east tower of the westbound span. 

I was not able to safely get any images (driving alone in busy Saturday traffic).

Reminds me a little of the scaffolding that was in place some years ago around the Washington Monument on the National Mall. 

[Alps]

Those weren't there a month or two ago.

[cpzilliacus]

WMAR-TV (Channel 2): WB lanes of Bay Bridge closed after 'unusual movement'

WTOP Radio:  Bay Bridge span closed after 'unusual' movement

Washington Post: Major delays at Chesapeake Bay Bridge as westbound span undergoes inspection

EDIT:  Looks like things are back to normal now:
WJZ-TV (Channel 13): All Lanes Open On Westbound Span Of Bay Bridge After They Were Closed Due To Irregular Movement

Baltimore Sun: Bay Bridge reopened after unscheduled inspection

Baltimore Sun: Tarpaulin system leads to Bay Bridge ordeal - Thousands delayed hours for emergency inspection

[D-Dey65]

"Unusual movement?" This "movement" wouldn't happened to have been triggered by the Virginia Earthquake from last year, was it?

[cpzilliacus]

Baltimore Sun: Maryland to expand Howard County rest area as safety measure - Along Interstate 95, truckers are scrambling for parking

[cpzilliacus]

"Unusual movement?" This "movement" wouldn't happened to have been triggered by the Virginia Earthquake from last year, was it?

No, I think the "movement" was caused by a massive tarpaulin that was hanging from the scaffolding of the west suspension tower of the westbound (1972) span, and has now been removed.

[cpzilliacus]

Letter to the Editor (Baltimore Sun): Md. should devote its surplus to transportation

With the announcement by Comptroller Peter Franchot last week that the state of Maryland has a $500 million surplus ("State budget surplus greater than expected," Sept. 1), AAA Mid-Atlantic is calling upon Gov. Martin O'Malley and Comptroller Franchot to work together on a plan to dedicate those funds to transportation and return them to the state's Transportation Trust Fund, which is used to fund Maryland's roads and mass transit projects.

We have a terrible transportation funding crisis in the state that is so bad that the governor and the legislature impaneled a Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation Funding to spend over a year examining the issues and make recommendations, which it did in its final report of November, 2011.

[MASTERNC]

Baltimore Sun: Maryland House on I-95 to Close Sept. 15 for Reconstruction

http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/harford/news/ph-ag-maryland-house-closing-0907-20120906,0,6817819.story

[cpzilliacus]

Baltimore Sun: Maryland House on I-95 to Close Sept. 15 for Reconstruction

http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/harford/news/ph-ag-maryland-house-closing-0907-20120906,0,6817819.story

That's the end of a (long) era, dating back to 1963. 

Maryland House has long been one of the busiest (and most-profitable) turnpike service plazas, probably because it is the last one on I-95 headed south, and the first one headed north.

[mtantillo]

Baltimore Sun: Maryland House on I-95 to Close Sept. 15 for Reconstruction

http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/harford/news/ph-ag-maryland-house-closing-0907-20120906,0,6817819.story

That's the end of a (long) era, dating back to 1963. 

Maryland House has long been one of the busiest (and most-profitable) turnpike service plazas, probably because it is the last one on I-95 headed south, and the first one headed north.

Yuck.  That means more people will be forced to use the Chesapeake House service area, which IMO is not nearly as nice a place to stop. 

Also, for me personally, this means there will be no good place for me to pull over to swap out my regular Virginia E-ZPass with my MD Hatem Bridge only E-ZPass tag between the Baltimore tunnels and the Susquehanna when heading north.  I suppose I can do it while I wait at the long light at MD 155/US 40. 

[hbelkins]

Also, for me personally, this means there will be no good place for me to pull over to swap out my regular Virginia E-ZPass with my MD Hatem Bridge only E-ZPass tag between the Baltimore tunnels and the Susquehanna when heading north.  I suppose I can do it while I wait at the long light at MD 155/US 40.

Can't do it on the fly? I've gotten pretty good at mounting/unmounting my radar detector when I cross the Virginia state line without stopping.

[mtantillo]

Also, for me personally, this means there will be no good place for me to pull over to swap out my regular Virginia E-ZPass with my MD Hatem Bridge only E-ZPass tag between the Baltimore tunnels and the Susquehanna when heading north.  I suppose I can do it while I wait at the long light at MD 155/US 40.

Can't do it on the fly? I've gotten pretty good at mounting/unmounting my radar detector when I cross the Virginia state line without stopping.

Yeah, good point, H.B.  Its just annoying since I actually have to get the tags out of/into the read-protect bags. 

[D-Dey65]

Baltimore Sun: Maryland House on I-95 to Close Sept. 15 for Reconstruction

http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/harford/news/ph-ag-maryland-house-closing-0907-20120906,0,6817819.story

Guess I can cross that off my list of places to stop.

 

I also saw the proposed replacement. It's going to suck.

[cpzilliacus]

Baltimore Sun: Maryland House on I-95 to Close Sept. 15 for Reconstruction

http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/harford/news/ph-ag-maryland-house-closing-0907-20120906,0,6817819.story

Guess I can cross that off my list of places to stop.

 

I also saw the proposed replacement. It's going to suck.

The Delaware Turnpike concession owner (HMSHost (f/k/a Host Marriott)) rebuilt the one service plaza on the Delaware Turnpike into a pretty nice area. 

But HMSHost (or whatever they are called now) lost the concession contract in Maryland to Areas USA, so we cannot draw conclusions from the Delaware plaza.

The MdTA's I-95 Travel Plazas site has renderings of what the Maryland House and Chesapeake House service plazas will look like.  In my opinion, they look pretty nice.

I went up there before the storm yesterday and snapped some images of the Maryland House just before its closure for reconstruction, which I will post here within a few days.

[cpzilliacus]

Baltimore Sun: Maryland House on I-95 to Close Sept. 15 for Reconstruction

http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/harford/news/ph-ag-maryland-house-closing-0907-20120906,0,6817819.story

An article by the Sun's transportation beat reporter, Candy Thomson, on the same subject:

After nearly a half-century, Maryland House to close its doors - Two-year project will replace aging I-95 travel plazas with modern offerings

[1995hoo]

I remember the old days when the Maryland House was a spiffy restaurant. I also remember the time my brother somehow managed to lose one of his stuffed animals there (presumably it fell out the car door when we were getting in or out and nobody noticed). The rest of THAT drive to New York was extremely unpleasant with him screaming and crying the whole way.

[cpzilliacus]

I remember the old days when the Maryland House was a spiffy restaurant.

That has been a while!  The main eating place there for a lot of years leading up to today (dating back to when HMS was owned by the Marriotts) was Roy Rogers.  I suppose that the last Triggerburger (on I-95) will have been served when the place closes on the 15th.

For those who may be too young to recall when Roy Rogers (the actor) was alive, he had his horse Trigger stuffed and mounted when the beast galloped off to the afterlife.  The running joke at my alma mater (University of Maryland  at College Park, which once featured one of the largest (if not the largest) Roy Rogers in the universe) was that the burgers at Roy Rogers were made out of the late Trigger (though I have usually found the burgers at Roy Rogers (including those served at on-campus at Maryland) to be pretty good). Hence the Triggerburger.

I also remember the time my brother somehow managed to lose one of his stuffed animals there (presumably it fell out the car door when we were getting in or out and nobody noticed). The rest of THAT drive to New York was extremely unpleasant with him screaming and crying the whole way.

That sounds like a miserable trip.

[1995hoo]

I'm going to have to remember that Triggerburger line. My wife is a huge fan of Roy Rogers the actor, and there also happens to be a Roy Rogers about two miles from our house and we eat there occasionally. I'm gonna have to use that line next time we go there.....though I might find myself sleeping on the couch that night. 

[cpzilliacus]

I'm going to have to remember that Triggerburger line. My wife is a huge fan of Roy Rogers the actor, and there also happens to be a Roy Rogers about two miles from our house and we eat there occasionally. I'm gonna have to use that line next time we go there.....though I might find myself sleeping on the couch that night. 

I never thought Roy Rogers himself was all that lovable of a guy, and if he really loved Trigger all that much, why didn't he give the horse a decent burial instead of taking his remains to the taxidermist?

I will go out of my way to stop for a Triggerburger if I am in the vicinity of a "surviving" Roy Rogers.  I sometimes visit the one near Fort Hunt Road and Belle View Boulevard in the Alexandria section of Fairfax County; or south of there at U.S. 1 (Richmond Highway) and Va. 235 (Mount Vernon Highway) in the Woodlawn section of Fairfax County; or the one on Md. 85 (Buckeystown Pike) north of I-270 in Frederick County.

The brand loyalty to Roy Rogers is pretty impressive.  Their outlets always seem to be busy.