Maryland

[BrianP]

Now that they've started the construction of the bridge piers for the bridge for exit 12 on I-270, it looks like the bridge will at least accommodate a 4x4x4 lane configuration.  Which that makes sense since the likely scenario is to build four HOT lanes in the middle of the highway.  The additional 4 lanes would be added on the south side of I-270 at that point.  Also there may be room for a CD lane or two on the outside.  Of course this is still several years down the road but it looks like they envisioned the likely outcome for expansion when designing this project.  Which of course is not surprising.  It's just interesting what can be construed from the design already.

Ok scratch that.  There's an extra set of bridge piers being constructed which means there's not room enough for 4x4x4. 

[epzik8]

For no reason in particular, here's an article from The Aegis in Harford County about Thanksgiving travel:

[MASTERNC]

95 North was a wall of traffic in the usual spot (Bel Air) at 9 PM Tuesday night. Southbound, however, was free flowing. Guess it is a DC to NY pipeline.

[cpzilliacus]

95 North was a wall of traffic in the usual spot (Bel Air) at 9 PM Tuesday night. Southbound, however, was free flowing. Guess it is a DC to NY pipeline.

It is getting to the point that I-95 needs to be continuously four lanes from the north portal of the Fort McHenry Tunnel all the way to the Delaware border. 

Of course, that includes the Millard Tydings Bridge at the  Susquehanna River.  Not cheap.

[Beltway]

It is getting to the point that I-95 needs to be continuously four lanes from the north portal of the Fort McHenry Tunnel all the way to the Delaware border. 
Of course, that includes the Millard Tydings Bridge at the  Susquehanna River.  Not cheap.

Parallel bridge with four 12-foot lanes and two full shoulders. 
Existing bridge reconfigured for same.

[froggie]

It is getting to the point that I-95 needs to be continuously four lanes from the north portal of the Fort McHenry Tunnel all the way to the Delaware border. 

Do you have something besides the busiest travel holiday of the year to base that on?

[TheOneKEA]

It is getting to the point that I-95 needs to be continuously four lanes from the north portal of the Fort McHenry Tunnel all the way to the Delaware border. 
Of course, that includes the Millard Tydings Bridge at the  Susquehanna River.  Not cheap.

Parallel bridge with four 12-foot lanes and two full shoulders. 
Existing bridge reconfigured for same.

I also believe that the ETLs should eventually be extended all the way up to Exit 89 (MD 155), in a 3-2-2-3 carriageway layout. The existing planned end of the ETLs at Exit 80 (MD 543) is too far south, in my opinion, to allow long-distance traffic to bypass local and regional traffic to and from Bel Air, Aberdeen and the Proving Ground. From my perspective, a 29-mile tolled facility is much more useful than a 20-mile tolled facility.

[Alps]

It is getting to the point that I-95 needs to be continuously four lanes from the north portal of the Fort McHenry Tunnel all the way to the Delaware border. 

Do you have something besides the busiest travel holiday of the year to base that on?

Familiarity with the corridor - himself and me alike. He's right.

[cpzilliacus]

It is getting to the point that I-95 needs to be continuously four lanes from the north portal of the Fort McHenry Tunnel all the way to the Delaware border. 

Do you have something besides the busiest travel holiday of the year to base that on?

Yes.  Never crossed on that day. 

But have been stuck in long queues of traffic on others days many times (though less since I have used Inrix to know when cross over to U.S. 40) and use that to bypass the worst of it.

Not for nothing did MDTA include Section 300 (North of MD-22 to North of MD-222, including the Millard Tydings Bridge) and Section 400 (North of MD-222 to the Delaware State Line) in its master plan for I-95 from Baltimore City to Delaware. 

Work on Section 200 (North of MD-43 to North of MD-22) is starting up this fiscal year.

When Section 200 is complete, there will be at least 6 freeway lanes each way from Elkridge in Howard County  north to a point north of MD-22 (from Elkridge north to the Baltimore City/Baltimore County line on the northeast side of the city, that includes I-895).

[cpzilliacus]

I also believe that the ETLs should eventually be extended all the way up to Exit 89 (MD 155), in a 3-2-2-3 carriageway layout. The existing planned end of the ETLs at Exit 80 (MD 543) is too far south, in my opinion, to allow long-distance traffic to bypass local and regional traffic to and from Bel Air, Aberdeen and the Proving Ground. From my perspective, a 29-mile tolled facility is much more useful than a 20-mile tolled facility.

MDTA has logical termini that are defined in the I-95 Master Plan, and Section 300 runs from MD-22 to MD-222 and includes what you mention above. 

[odditude]

It is getting to the point that I-95 needs to be continuously four lanes from the north portal of the Fort McHenry Tunnel all the way to the Delaware border. 

Do you have something besides the busiest travel holiday of the year to base that on?

Familiarity with the corridor - himself and me alike. He's right.

agreed. on any given Sunday, travel time between the DE state line and the beginning of the Express Lanes varies from a half hour to over 2 - and it's purely from volume. source: plenty of trips from family in NJ to home in NOVA.

[TheOneKEA]

Regarding I-95 at the Fort McHenry Tunnel, I noticed that the stubs for the flyovers to and from the unbuilt segment of I-83 are mostly intact. Considering that the opportunity to remove them was there and not taken, I'm curious if the MDTA intends to do anything with those stubs later.

[cpzilliacus]

Regarding I-95 at the Fort McHenry Tunnel, I noticed that the stubs for the flyovers to and from the unbuilt segment of I-83 are mostly intact. Considering that the opportunity to remove them was there and not taken, I'm curious if the MDTA intends to do anything with those stubs later.

Any provision for I-83 to connect to I-95 in East Baltimore was removed from Baltimore City planning maps years ago. 

And beyond that there are some that want to cut-back I-83 so it does not end at President Street in Baltimore City.  Possibly converting I-83 to a boulevard-type of road south of East Eager Street.

[epzik8]

Great Wolf Lodge is scoping out a site in Perryville near the Hollywood Casino. Maybe the fourth I-95 Cecil County interchange will be useful after all.

[Roadsguy]

I notice on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, the beginning of the westbound express carriageway is built for four lanes, quickly merging to three as seen here. I know the inner lanes are built for a third lane each way for a future widening of the Beltway, but were they also anticipating building another left-merging on-ramp here, perhaps from I-295? None of the earlier bridges for the westbound express carriageway are built for a fourth lane.

[Beltway]

I notice on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, the beginning of the westbound express carriageway is built for four lanes, quickly merging to three as seen here. I know the inner lanes are built for a third lane each way for a future widening of the Beltway, but were they also anticipating building another left-merging on-ramp here, perhaps from I-295? None of the earlier bridges for the westbound express carriageway are built for a fourth lane.

Yes, that is the acceleration lane coming from a future ramp from I-295 SB to I-495 Express Inner Loop, and there would be a complimentary ramp for the opposite movement.

[Mergingtraffic]

I didn't see this posted:
https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-bridge-replacements-20190128-story.html

So I wonder if some of the old signs on the bridges similiar to this one will finally get replaced, not that I want them to.

[Jmiles32]

I notice on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, the beginning of the westbound express carriageway is built for four lanes, quickly merging to three as seen here. I know the inner lanes are built for a third lane each way for a future widening of the Beltway, but were they also anticipating building another left-merging on-ramp here, perhaps from I-295? None of the earlier bridges for the westbound express carriageway are built for a fourth lane.

Yes, that is the acceleration lane coming from a future ramp from I-295 SB to I-495 Express Inner Loop, and there would be a complimentary ramp for the opposite movement.

Considering that the portion of the Beltway isn't exactly traffic free, I hope both the 3rd thru lane and I-295 ramp connection are built soon. The longer they wait the likely more expensive it gets.

[Roadsguy]

I notice on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, the beginning of the westbound express carriageway is built for four lanes, quickly merging to three as seen here. I know the inner lanes are built for a third lane each way for a future widening of the Beltway, but were they also anticipating building another left-merging on-ramp here, perhaps from I-295? None of the earlier bridges for the westbound express carriageway are built for a fourth lane.

Yes, that is the acceleration lane coming from a future ramp from I-295 SB to I-495 Express Inner Loop, and there would be a complimentary ramp for the opposite movement.

Considering that the portion of the Beltway isn't exactly traffic free, I hope both the 3rd thru lane and I-295 ramp connection are built soon. The longer they wait the likely more expensive it gets.

IIRC, the third express lane in each direction is already paved for almost its entire length (with the exception of short pieces on the VA side where it is only graded) and just needs a restripe. I think they just figured that it would be of limited benefit without also widening the Beltway to 10 or 12 lanes past the bridge on each side.

The new I-295 ramps, on the other hand, don't seem to have any hints of their planned existence aside from the merge space on the bridge that I mentioned as well as the extra median space on the Beltway. There aren't any stubs on 295.

[Jmiles32]

I notice on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, the beginning of the westbound express carriageway is built for four lanes, quickly merging to three as seen here. I know the inner lanes are built for a third lane each way for a future widening of the Beltway, but were they also anticipating building another left-merging on-ramp here, perhaps from I-295? None of the earlier bridges for the westbound express carriageway are built for a fourth lane.

Yes, that is the acceleration lane coming from a future ramp from I-295 SB to I-495 Express Inner Loop, and there would be a complimentary ramp for the opposite movement.

Considering that the portion of the Beltway isn't exactly traffic free, I hope both the 3rd thru lane and I-295 ramp connection are built soon. The longer they wait the likely more expensive it gets.

IIRC, the third express lane in each direction is already paved for almost its entire length (with the exception of short pieces on the VA side where it is only graded) and just needs a restripe. I think they just figured that it would be of limited benefit without also widening the Beltway to 10 or 12 lanes past the bridge on each side.

Ah makes sense. Both Maryland and Virginia are probably waiting to see what comes of the Express Lanes talks regarding that section of the Beltway before deciding what to do with that extra space.

[Jmiles32]

https://wtop.com/dc-transit/2019/01/new-american-legion-bridge-within-years-says-md-highway-administrator/

WASHINGTON – Soon after Virginia announced its plans to extend Express Lanes almost three miles from Tysons Corner to the American Legion Bridge, Maryland has confirmed a new bridge will be equipped to handle extra traffic.

Without committing to a precise timeline, Maryland's highway administrator Greg Slater said a new American Legion Bridge will be built within the next several years.

"We are focused on the bridge as our first order of business,"  Slater told WUSA9. "We want to get out there and move that traffic."

The only way to address that bridge, and have more capacity on that bridge, is to build a new bridge,"  Slater said.

What's still not clear is the configuration of the bridge, although Slater confirmed to Channel 9 that the new bridge would have additional lanes to allow a seamless flow from Virginia Express Lane traffic into Maryland.

In 2017, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced plans for a public-private partnership to add toll lanes to I-270 and the Beltway, but didn't provide specifics on how the Legion Bridge, which was built in 1963, would carry traffic.

Slater said private developers interested in being part of the project are being directed to develop plans that would add new Beltway lanes within the Interstate's existing footprint, leaving open the possibilities of stacked roadways or travel underground.

[Beltway]

https://wtop.com/dc-transit/2019/01/new-american-legion-bridge-within-years-says-md-highway-administrator/

WASHINGTON — Soon after Virginia announced its plans to extend Express Lanes almost three miles from Tysons Corner to the American Legion Bridge, Maryland has confirmed a new bridge will be equipped to handle extra traffic.

Without committing to a precise timeline, Maryland’s highway administrator Greg Slater said a new American Legion Bridge will be built within the next several years.

“We are focused on the bridge as our first order of business,” Slater told WUSA9. “We want to get out there and move that traffic.”

The only way to address that bridge, and have more capacity on that bridge, is to build a new bridge,” Slater said.

What’s still not clear is the configuration of the bridge, although Slater confirmed to Channel 9 that the new bridge would have additional lanes to allow a seamless flow from Virginia Express Lane traffic into Maryland.

In 2017, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced plans for a public-private partnership to add toll lanes to I-270 and the Beltway, but didn’t provide specifics on how the Legion Bridge, which was built in 1963, would carry traffic.

Slater said private developers interested in being part of the project are being directed to develop plans that would add new Beltway lanes within the Interstate’s existing footprint, leaving open the possibilities of stacked roadways or travel underground.

This is good news!  If the bridge is widened to 14 lanes (1-4-2-2-4-1) that will be an expensive project. 

At 1,263 feet long it is much shorter than the Wilson Bridge, and does not need navigational clearance, but the banks on either side are elevated enough that the bridge still has considerable height above the river.

[Jmiles32]

This is good news!  If the bridge is widened to 14 lanes (1-4-2-2-4-1) that will be an expensive project. 

At 1,263 feet long it is much shorter than the Wilson Bridge, and does not need navigational clearance, but the banks on either side are elevated enough that the bridge still has considerable height above the river.

So is the plan to widen the existing bridge or build an entirely new one? While building a new one would be enormously more expensive, the existing bridge is pretty old so simply widening it may not be a viable long term solution.

[froggie]

^ I've heard it mentioned from several sources (including CP, IIRC) that any expansion of the Legion Bridge crossing will require a new bridge.

[Beltway]

^ I've heard it mentioned from several sources (including CP, IIRC) that any expansion of the Legion Bridge crossing will require a new bridge.

Pretty much.  Six lanes were built in the early 1960s and the rest in the late 1980s.  Time for a completely new structure.