Maryland

[tckma]

The signs on the southbound side of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and most of them on U.S. 50 east and west of the interchange pre-date the official designation of Kenilworth Avenue, N.E. and the northern part of the Anacostia Freeway as SR (or D.C.) 295.  Hence TO I-295.  Were the signs to be replaced now, I think there would be reference to D.C. 295.

CPZ, Have you not seen the new mileposts that went up on the DC-295 section after they put in the sorely needed exit from S/B DC-295 to I-695?  Notice they are the new style with the route marker, and the route marker is a DC-295 shield.

That said, prior to that construction, I'd only ever seen ONE DC-295 reassurance marker, and it looked very old and faded.

[Alps]

The signs on the southbound side of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and most of them on U.S. 50 east and west of the interchange pre-date the official designation of Kenilworth Avenue, N.E. and the northern part of the Anacostia Freeway as SR (or D.C.) 295.  Hence TO I-295.  Were the signs to be replaced now, I think there would be reference to D.C. 295.

CPZ, Have you not seen the new mileposts that went up on the DC-295 section after they put in the sorely needed exit from S/B DC-295 to I-695?  Notice they are the new style with the route marker, and the route marker is a DC-295 shield.

That said, prior to that construction, I'd only ever seen ONE DC-295 reassurance marker, and it looked very old and faded.

There were at least 3 until recently and they were more dirty than faded, but I've noticed them disappearing.

[cpzilliacus]

The signs on the southbound side of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and most of them on U.S. 50 east and west of the interchange pre-date the official designation of Kenilworth Avenue, N.E. and the northern part of the Anacostia Freeway as SR (or D.C.) 295.  Hence TO I-295.  Were the signs to be replaced now, I think there would be reference to D.C. 295.

CPZ, Have you not seen the new mileposts that went up on the DC-295 section after they put in the sorely needed exit from S/B DC-295 to I-695?  Notice they are the new style with the route marker, and the route marker is a DC-295 shield.

That said, prior to that construction, I'd only ever seen ONE DC-295 reassurance marker, and it looked very old and faded.

Yes, those are a big  improvement, though they were only installed from  the 11th Street Bridge, S.E. interchange to Pennsylvania Avenue, S.E. They should be in place all the way north  to Eastern Avenue.

[cpzilliacus]

Washington  Post: Maryland races to catch up with Virginia in toll road projects

Maryland is racing to catch up with Virginia in tolling its roads, planning not only to modernize old toll facilities but also orchestrating a mammoth network of new toll lanes in its Washington suburbs.

The most tangible expansion in the works is a $1.1 billion extension of the express toll lanes in the Interstate 95 corridor, north of Baltimore, where construction is expected to begin next year. But an even more ambitious plan would add toll lanes on the Capital Beltway (Interstate 495), Interstate 270 and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway (Interstate 295).

The $9 billion project, announced in September, would be the biggest such public-private partnership in the country, and could require years if not decades to build. But Maryland is taking key steps this summer to advance it.

State transportation officials are scheduled to present preliminary construction alternatives for the plan in July , providing the most detail to date of what the project might look like on I-270 and the Beltway. The program would allow the construction of four toll lanes on each of the highways, potentially more than doubling the state's existing toll network of 124 centerline miles.

Related article about extending toll lanes to the Virginia side of the American Legion Bridge here.

[Beltway]

Washington comPost: Maryland races to catch up with Virginia in toll road projects

Maryland is racing to catch up with Virginia in tolling its roads, planning not only to modernize old toll facilities but also orchestrating a mammoth network of new toll lanes in its Washington suburbs.

They need to focus first on the I-495 segment between Virginia and I-270, given Virginia's focus on the segment between VA-267 and the river.  Add two HOT lanes each way.

[cpzilliacus]

They need to focus first on the I-495 segment between Virginia and I-270, given Virginia's focus on the segment between VA-267 and the river.  Add two HOT lanes each way.

IMO that is as good of a place as any.  Not sure if that is what MDOT has in mind. 

[ixnay]

More of U.S. 113 is now dualized.

https://www.oceancitytoday.com/news/route-s-third-phase-finally-open/article_8e8312de-8088-11e8-ab9c-77910c6979f1.html

Judging from the construction visible on Google Sat, 113 is now dualized from DE 1 north of Milford, to 5 Mile Branch Rd. between Newark, MD and Snow Hill.  The last remaining 2-lane stretch, about 4 miles in length, runs from 5 Mile Branch Rd. to just north of MD 365 from which the dual road runs all the way to U.S. 13.

ixnay

[Jmiles32]

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/harford/aegis/ph-ag-belvidere-interchange-study-0720-story.html

Preliminary studies are in the works that could eventually lead to building another Interstate 95 interchange in Cecil County to serve the growing business and industrial community between Perryville and North East.

A public informational open house to discuss what is called the I-95 at Belvidere Road Transportation Improvement Study will be held July 31, from 5 to 8 p.m., at Cecil College, 1 Seahawk Drive in North East.

The open house is hosted by the Maryland Transportation Authority, which operates I-95 and is working in conjunction with the Federal Highway Administration to conduct a NEPA study — National Environmental Policy Act — to identify potential improvements to the interstate highway and other nearby highways, according to MDTA.

There won't be any formal presentations or specific plans shown at the open house, according to John Sales, an MDTA spokesperson. Staff will be on-hand to answer questions and hear comments and maps of the study area and existing highway network and other information will be available, he said.
"We're at an early stage,"  Sales said. "We'd like to receive public comments in person or through our website or through comment cards"  that will be available at the open house.

The study area encompasses a 7.6-mile stretch of I-95 between the Route 222 interchange in Perryville and the Route 272 interchange in North East. Within the area is the 1,000-acre Principio Business Park, home to a recently opened 1.1-million-square-foot Amazon fulfillment center and dozens of other businesses, with more coming, including German grocery chain Lidl's first U.S. distribution center and Medline Industries, a medical products maker and distributor which is moving from a smaller facility in Aberdeen.

The business park is a development of Stewart Properties of Perryville and York, Pa.
The Amazon center deal involved financial incentives from the state and county governments. Gov. Larry Hogan visited the fulfillment center in March.
Also included in the transportation study area is the York Building Products and Mason-Dixon sand quarries just north of I-95 and thousands of other undeveloped acres between I-95 and Route 40 which lie in a state and county designated Principio Enterprise Zone.

Jennifer Lyall, spokesperson for Cecil County government, said county officials have scheduled an internal meeting to discuss the potential highway improvements but haven't taken a position yet.
"Obviously we are going to be interested in the results of the study,"  she said Wednesday afternoon.

Sales, of the MDTA, said the industrial/commercial development between Perryville and North East is driving the study, but he also said it could be years before an interchange could be built and other related improvements are added.

Belvidere Road is a county road. It crosses I-95 just west of the Chesapeake House Travel Plaza complex and goes through the Principio Business Park property before ending at Route 40.
Study information and online comment is available on the MDTA's website.

The potential interchange's proximity to the Chesapeake House will probably play a big factor in what type of interchange design is eventually chosen.

[Roadsguy]

Has the short US 219 bypass north of I-68 gone to construction yet? It was supposed to start this past Spring, but I can't find any news later than 2017.

[BrianP]

7/16/2018 This project is currently 12% complete.

Current Work:
This Design/Build contract is still in the design phase.
Work by the contractor has not begun.

4/10/2018 They are currently in the design phase. They recently completed tree clearing. With this being a design build project the Notice to proceed and contract start date are actually referring to the start of the Design Build Team's design phase with actual construction anticipated to begin during August 2018

http://apps.roads.maryland.gov/WebProjectLifeCycle/ProjectSchedule.aspx?projectno=GA6465211

[TheOneKEA]

The project page states that this portion of the overall project was separately broken out. Does this mean that the construction will only install partial access controls, and retain the current Alt US 40 intersection and the diamond interchange with I-68? There are no documents or maps posted on this particular project page yet.

[BrianP]

Here's the pdf of the plan:
http://www.us219northmd.com/docs/US%20219_Alt%204%20Modified%20Rollplot_20170213_edited_V3.pdf

This part of the project doesn't reach the state line.  This is still about 1.3 miles short of the line.  So I'd assume that the part to the state line would be built when PA does their part from Meyersdale to the state line. 

There's been some discussion of this in the PA US 219 thread.

[odditude]

more than half of the time i'm heading SB on Sunday from the greater Philly area, I-95 between the DE state line and the express lanes is operating at LOS E or F. i'm aware of the plan to extend the express lanes north to MD 24, but are there any other plans for improvements between there and the DE state line? or, at the minimum, have there been any studies that show where the actual breakdowns in flow originate?

if this has been discussed previously, please throw me a link - i didn't have any luck on the board search.

[cpzilliacus]

more than half of the time i'm heading SB on Sunday from the greater Philly area, I-95 between the DE state line and the express lanes is operating at LOS E or F. i'm aware of the plan to extend the express lanes north to MD 24, but are there any other plans for improvements between there and the DE state line? or, at the minimum, have there been any studies that show where the actual breakdowns in flow originate?

I am not aware of any published studies beyond the master plan document that MDTA did quite a few years ago.

Yes, I think the Express Toll Lanes do help.

I also think there are less incidents on the eight-lane cross section south of MD-24 as opposed to the six-lane section from the Delaware line south to MD-24.   I usually avoid much of southbound I-95 and related roads (such as the New Jersey Turnpike) from south of about Exit 4 on the Turnpike to Exit 77 (MD-24), all of which seems to have more than its fair share of incidents, and that also means not paying the tolls on the Delaware Turnpike. 

Last time did this trip, I exited the N.J. Turnpike at Exit 4 Exit 3, took NJ-168 to I-295 to U.S. 130 to U.S. 322, crossing the Commodore Barry Bridge, then south on I-95 and I-495 to U.S. 13, then south on U.S. 13 to U.S. 40 west, which I followed all the way to MD-24.  There were some delays at the lights, but none of them were severe, and there was plenty of red and dark red coloring on I-95 in Delaware and  Maryland that I avoided.

[jeffandnicole]

...Last time did this trip, I exited the N.J. Turnpike at Exit 3, took NJ-168 to I-295 to U.S. 130 to U.S. 322, crossing the Commodore Barry Bridge...

Fixed.  Unless you took Exit 4 to NJ 73 to 295 South.

[froggie]

I also think there are less incidents on the eight-lane cross section south of MD-24 as opposed to the six-lane section from the Delaware line south to MD-24.

I'd hazard a bet that has more to do with the Susquehanna crossing and the topography on both sides than it does being 6 lanes versus 8.

In fact, I'd argue the Tydings Bridge is one of the primary trouble spots that odditude was alluding to.

[MASTERNC]

I also think there are less incidents on the eight-lane cross section south of MD-24 as opposed to the six-lane section from the Delaware line south to MD-24.

I'd hazard a bet that has more to do with the Susquehanna crossing and the topography on both sides than it does being 6 lanes versus 8.

In fact, I'd argue the Tydings Bridge is one of the primary trouble spots that odditude was alluding to.

From my experience, the worst is south of MD 22 down to MD 24, especially between MD 543 and MD 24.

[froggie]

The worst traffic?  Or the worst frequency/severity of incidents?  I'll agree to the former south of 22...but the latter, at least empirically, is in the Susquehanna River vicinity.

[cpzilliacus]

...Last time did this trip, I exited the N.J. Turnpike at Exit 3, took NJ-168 to I-295 to U.S. 130 to U.S. 322, crossing the Commodore Barry Bridge...

Fixed.  Unless you took Exit 4 to NJ 73 to 295 South.

No, it was 3.

[cpzilliacus]

I also think there are less incidents on the eight-lane cross section south of MD-24 as opposed to the six-lane section from the Delaware line south to MD-24.

I'd hazard a bet that has more to do with the Susquehanna crossing and the topography on both sides than it does being 6 lanes versus 8.

In fact, I'd argue the Tydings Bridge is one of the primary trouble spots that odditude was alluding to.

There's a pretty sharp set of curves between the south (west) landing of the Millard Tydings and the MD-155 (Exit 89) interchange, and a short but relatively steep climb.

That causes problems for I-95 southbound traffic rather frequently.

I am not even considering the frequent cross winds on  the Millard Tydings, which are also a problem (and there are signs warning of same on the approaches).

[jeffandnicole]

I also think there are less incidents on the eight-lane cross section south of MD-24 as opposed to the six-lane section from the Delaware line south to MD-24.

I'd hazard a bet that has more to do with the Susquehanna crossing and the topography on both sides than it does being 6 lanes versus 8.

In fact, I'd argue the Tydings Bridge is one of the primary trouble spots that odditude was alluding to.

There's a pretty sharp set of curves between the south (west) landing of the Millard Tydings and the MD-155 (Exit 89) interchange, and a short but relatively steep climb.

That causes problems for I-95 southbound traffic rather frequently.

I am not even considering the frequent cross winds on  the Millard Tydings, which are also a problem (and there are signs warning of same on the approaches).

Add in the fear some people have of this flat but high bridge.  One of the guys in my carpool goes over this bridge regularly, and comments how he hates looking over the sides and thus drives the left or center lane.  Knowing him and how he reacts to such things he's probably barely doing 50 or 55 mph. 

[plain]

Geez, I'd hate to see how he feels about going across the Bay Bridge...

[ixnay]

more than half of the time i'm heading SB on Sunday from the greater Philly area, I-95 between the DE state line and the express lanes is operating at LOS E or F. i'm aware of the plan to extend the express lanes north to MD 24, but are there any other plans for improvements between there and the DE state line? or, at the minimum, have there been any studies that show where the actual breakdowns in flow originate?

if this has been discussed previously, please throw me a link - i didn't have any luck on the board search.

"LOS E or F"?  Could a road geek please explain the term to us laity?

ixnay

[davewiecking]

"LOS E or F"?  Could a road geek please explain the term to us laity?
ixnay

Level of Service. "A"=Traffic will let me go as fast as I want; "F"=I could get there quicker if I were walking.

Actually, there are more technical definitions, but you get the gist.

[odditude]

"LOS E or F"?  Could a road geek please explain the term to us laity?
ixnay

Level of Service. "A"=Traffic will let me go as fast as I want; "F"=I could get there quicker if I were walking.

Actually, there are more technical definitions, but you get the gist.

more detail is available at Wikipedia.