Maryland

[Beltway]

WTOP:  US 50 over Severn River expands to 4 lanes

The eastbound lanes of Route 50 over the Severn River expanded from three lanes to four with Gov. Larry Hogan holding a ceremonial ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the occasion.
The expansion was finished a month ahead of schedule.

I see they did that by reducing the lane widths from 12 feet to 11 feet.

Tune in on the afternoon of May 25.
ixnay

How far past the bridge does this lane go before it drops?

[davewiecking]

Up to the 1 1/2 lane exit ramp for MD-2/450. Bridge is straight, and the 11' wide lanes are OK. Once off the bridge, the roadway bends to the right, but I think the lanes can revert to 12' before the ramp. When I passed thru there last Friday, the final striping wasn't yet in place.

[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. 

[Beltway]

Up to the 1 1/2 lane exit ramp for MD-2/450. Bridge is straight, and the 11' wide lanes are OK. Once off the bridge, the roadway bends to the right, but I think the lanes can revert to 12' before the ramp. When I passed thru there last Friday, the final striping wasn't yet in place.

I drove thru there today ... looks good, all lines painted.  Light traffic when I went thru there, so I can't gauge the effect on peak traffic.

[skluth]

Maryland is fast-tracking its plan to widen the Beltway and I-270.
Link: https://ggwash.org/view/67378/maryland-sets-an-ambitious-timeline-to-study-widening-the-beltway-and-i-270

Project will be adding toll lanes to both highways. Greater Greater Washington is a New Urbanist site, so a lot of the reading may come off as pretty negative for many readers. The article is well-documented with plenty of links for those wanting further information.

[Beltway]

Maryland is fast-tracking its plan to widen the Beltway and I-270.
Link: https://ggwash.org/view/67378/maryland-sets-an-ambitious-timeline-to-study-widening-the-beltway-and-i-270
Project will be adding toll lanes to both highways. Greater Greater Washington is a New Urbanist site, so a lot of the reading may come off as pretty negative for many readers. The article is well-documented with plenty of links for those wanting further information.

I don't see how they can "fast track" a project like this that will at minimum require 6 to 8 years of NEPA EIS/location studies.

[froggie]

^ Probably piggybacking off the 2002 DEIS for I-270, the "West Side Mobility Study" of 2009, and the Capitol Beltway Study from 2013.

[Beltway]

^ Probably piggybacking off the 2002 DEIS for I-270, the "West Side Mobility Study" of 2009, and the Capitol Beltway Study from 2013.

The 2002 DEIS for I-270 obviously had environmental deliverables, but did the others have any? 

I would like them to focus on I-495 between VA and I-270, as VA just started the EIS/location study between VA-267 and MD, for the extension of the HOT lanes.  That would be a big step forward if they could extend the 4-2/2-4 configuration thru there and do a total rebuild/upgrade of bridges and interchanges.

[TheOneKEA]

Where would I look on the MDOT SHA website to find out the status of any ongoing 70mph speed limits? I've heard, anecdotally, that the SHA has stopped raising the limits because of statistically significant increases in vehicle crashes and accidents in the existing 70mph zones. Is that at all true, and how would I find out?

[davewiecking]

Up to the 1 1/2 lane exit ramp for MD-2/450. Bridge is straight, and the 11' wide lanes are OK. Once off the bridge, the roadway bends to the right, but I think the lanes can revert to 12' before the ramp. When I passed thru there last Friday, the final striping wasn't yet in place.

I drove thru there today ... looks good, all lines painted.  Light traffic when I went thru there, so I can't gauge the effect on peak traffic.

Whipped thru there at about 2:20 this afternoon. Considering traffic on the Beltway between MD-450 and US-50, and along 50 towards Annapolis I would have expected a several mile slowdown before the Severn, but had no problems with maintaining speed across the bridge. A 2 rear axle dump truck towing a large trailer drifted onto the white dashes, but I just accelerated past and let him wander back and forth in his lane.

[mrsman]

^ Probably piggybacking off the 2002 DEIS for I-270, the "West Side Mobility Study" of 2009, and the Capitol Beltway Study from 2013.

The 2002 DEIS for I-270 obviously had environmental deliverables, but did the others have any? 

I would like them to focus on I-495 between VA and I-270, as VA just started the EIS/location study between VA-267 and MD, for the extension of the HOT lanes.  That would be a big step forward if they could extend the 4-2/2-4 configuration thru there and do a total rebuild/upgrade of bridges and interchanges.

That would be a great idea.  Ideally, 1 lane of the HOT lanes and 2 lanes of the general lanes will feed each roadway of the split (270 north and 495 east).  If that's not feasible, then the HOT lanes need to start south of River Rd to give everyone the opportunity to change lanes.  The roadway should be widened to 6 lanes in each direction between the river and the split.

I-270 itself should not be widened south of I-370.  It is plenty wide and already provides 6 lanes in each direction.  North of there, there needs to be HOT lanes as the roadway dramatically narrows.  Only 2 lanes in each direction north of Germantown, and there are a ton of commuters from Frederick. 

If these changes occur, the existing HOV lanes should become HOT lanes.

[cpzilliacus]

Baltimore Sun:Top official in Baltimore's Traffic Division under investigation after allegations of 'inappropriate conduct'

A top official in the Baltimore transportation department's Traffic Division is under investigation following a formal complaint of inappropriate conduct signed by 15 employees, the department confirmed.

Graham Young, deputy chief of traffic, oversaw the department's second-largest division, which includes traffic engineering, road closures and traffic lights.

Young was removed from his management capacity and is not currently supervising employees, pending the outcome of the investigation, said Greg Tucker, a spokesman for Mayor Catherine E. Pugh. Young is temporarily working in another division of the transportation agency, and a Maintenance Division supervisor has been assigned his duties, according to three department sources.

Reached by phone Wednesday, Young declined to comment and referred questions to the department.

[Henry]

Baltimore Sun:Top official in Baltimore's Traffic Division under investigation after allegations of 'inappropriate conduct'

A top official in the Baltimore transportation department’s Traffic Division is under investigation following a formal complaint of inappropriate conduct signed by 15 employees, the department confirmed.

Graham Young, deputy chief of traffic, oversaw the department’s second-largest division, which includes traffic engineering, road closures and traffic lights.

Young was removed from his management capacity and is not currently supervising employees, pending the outcome of the investigation, said Greg Tucker, a spokesman for Mayor Catherine E. Pugh. Young is temporarily working in another division of the transportation agency, and a Maintenance Division supervisor has been assigned his duties, according to three department sources.

Reached by phone Wednesday, Young declined to comment and referred questions to the department.

Sounds a lot like an article out of Chicago...

[TheOneKEA]

MD 180 was thoroughly trashed by the recent heavy rains and may be closed for up to a week between MD 17 and MD 79.

http://www.roads.maryland.gov/pages/release.aspx?newsId=3147

The photo in the article shows the extent of the washout that occurred.

[davewiecking]

Up to the 1 1/2 lane exit ramp for MD-2/450. Bridge is straight, and the 11' wide lanes are OK. Once off the bridge, the roadway bends to the right, but I think the lanes can revert to 12' before the ramp. When I passed thru there last Friday, the final striping wasn't yet in place.

I drove thru there today ... looks good, all lines painted.  Light traffic when I went thru there, so I can't gauge the effect on peak traffic.

Last Friday afternoon, traffic flow thru here was good until across the bridge. Noticeable slowdown as traffic from MD-2/MD-450 entered EB US-50.

[TheOneKEA]

Up to the 1 1/2 lane exit ramp for MD-2/450. Bridge is straight, and the 11' wide lanes are OK. Once off the bridge, the roadway bends to the right, but I think the lanes can revert to 12' before the ramp. When I passed thru there last Friday, the final striping wasn't yet in place.

I drove thru there today ... looks good, all lines painted.  Light traffic when I went thru there, so I can't gauge the effect on peak traffic.

Last Friday afternoon, traffic flow thru here was good until across the bridge. Noticeable slowdown as traffic from MD-2/MD-450 entered EB US-50.

That interchange is unusually designed and I suspect that the narrow bridges for the 50/301 main lanes contribute to the slowdown going east.

[Stephane Dumas]

I saw some plans for the long-awaited upgrade of MD-4 between Capital Beltway(I-95/495) and MD-223.
http://apps.roads.maryland.gov/webprojectlifecycle/ProjectInformation.aspx?projectno=PG9171116

They showed the selected alternative from 2000 but seems they had changed some proposal in this other document from 2008
http://apps.roads.maryland.gov/webprojectlifecycle/ProjectMaps.aspx?projectno=PG9171116#
http://apps.roads.maryland.gov/webprojectlifecycle/ProjectMaps.aspx?projectno=PG9171116#

I would enter into fictionnal highways territory if I suggest to transform the MD-4/Capital beltway cloverleaf into a cloverstack. ^^;

[cpzilliacus]

I saw some plans for the long-awaited upgrade of MD-4 between Capital Beltway(I-95/495) and MD-223.
http://apps.roads.maryland.gov/webprojectlifecycle/ProjectInformation.aspx?projectno=PG9171116

They showed the selected alternative from 2000 but seems they had changed some proposal in this other document from 2008
http://apps.roads.maryland.gov/webprojectlifecycle/ProjectMaps.aspx?projectno=PG9171116#
http://apps.roads.maryland.gov/webprojectlifecycle/ProjectMaps.aspx?projectno=PG9171116#

I would enter into fictionnal highways territory if I suggest to transform the MD-4/Capital beltway cloverleaf into a cloverstack. ^^;

The interchange at MD-4 (Pennsylvania Avenue Extended) and the federal Suitland Parkway (Suitland Parkway is not MD-337, even though Google shows it as such) is under construction now, and that project will eliminate one of the three terrible (as in crash-prone) at-grade signalized intersections along MD-4 in the area (the other two are at Westphalia Road/Old Marlboro Pike and at Dower House Road/Marlboro Pike.

Yes, the cloverleaf interchange at MD-4 and I-95(and I-495) has exceeded its useful life and  should be reconstructed to something more robust.  At a minimum, the bridge that carries I-95 here is original to the 1964 completion of the Capital Beltway and badly needs a deck replacement.

Nearby, the bridge that carries I-95(I-495) over Suitland Road (not the same as Suitland Parkway) is being replaced and the bridge that carries I-95(I-495) over the Suitland Parkway being advertised for bids. Both of these bridges were classified as structurally deficient the last time I checked.

[froggie]

^ The Beltway bridges over Suitland Pkwy also lack shoulders.

[BrianP]

The new Dover Bridge opens tomorrow.  They don't call it an opening.  I guess that's since they'll have formal opening ceremony later.

http://www.marylandroads.com/pages/release.aspx?newsId=3171
TRAFFIC SHIFT TUESDAY AFTERNOON ON THE DOVER BRIDGE OVER THE CHOPTANK RIVER

The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) will begin employing a configuration change on MD 331 (Dover Road) at the Caroline/Talbot County line. The traffic shift will involve changing primary travel from the old Dover Bridge to the new lanes of traffic on the new Dover Bridge. The traffic switch to the new bridge will be in place by tomorrow afternoon, June 12.

[cpzilliacus]

^ The Beltway bridges over Suitland Pkwy also lack shoulders.

Indeed. These bridges are all-around awful structures because of wear-and-tear, and there have been several emergency lane closures in recent years because of potholes that went down to (and through) the rebar. 

I believe the new bridges will have shoulders and  will  otherwise be significantly wider.

[cpzilliacus]

ITS International: http://www.itsinternational.com/categories/charging-tolling/news/kapsch-to-upgrade-marylands-toll-collection-equipment/

Kapsch TrafficCom will replace all of Maryland Transportation Authority's (MDTA's) roadside tolling equipment.

For the upgrade, valued $67m (£47m), Kapsch will utilise radio-frequency identification (RFID) toll readers, automated number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras and scanners in the mixed-mode lanes. The company will also install its stereoscopic vehicle detection and classification sensor (nVDC) in the all-electronic toll lanes.

[Beltway]

The new Dover Bridge opens tomorrow.  They don't call it an opening.  I guess that's since they'll have formal opening ceremony later.
http://www.marylandroads.com/pages/release.aspx?newsId=3171
TRAFFIC SHIFT TUESDAY AFTERNOON ON THE DOVER BRIDGE OVER THE CHOPTANK RIVER

The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) will begin employing a configuration change on MD 331 (Dover Road) at the Caroline/Talbot County line. The traffic shift will involve changing primary travel from the old Dover Bridge to the new lanes of traffic on the new Dover Bridge. The traffic switch to the new bridge will be in place by tomorrow afternoon, June 12.

Good!  It looked nearly complete when I last saw it on May 2nd.  Seems like the last 2 spans on the east end got delayed for over a year for some reason, the rest of the bridge was complete back then.  Also the filled section of roadway east of there across wetlands had be widened and shifted.

[Beltway]

^ The Beltway bridges over Suitland Pkwy also lack shoulders.

Indeed. These bridges are all-around awful structures because of wear-and-tear, and there have been several emergency lane closures in recent years because of potholes that went down to (and through) the rebar. 
I believe the new bridges will have shoulders and  will  otherwise be significantly wider.

Why are so many MD I-495 bridges still the original?  I think the only remaining mainline bridges in Virginia are two of the bridges over VA-267, and the outcome of them and the left ramp terminals are pending depending on how the HOT lanes are extended (mainly whether 4 lanes or 2 lanes are added from there to MD).

The bridge over the Eisenhower Avenue Connector is partly original but the deck was replaced in the WWB Project.

[vdeane]

ITS International: http://www.itsinternational.com/categories/charging-tolling/news/kapsch-to-upgrade-marylands-toll-collection-equipment/

Kapsch TrafficCom will replace all of Maryland Transportation Authority's (MDTA's) roadside tolling equipment.

For the upgrade, valued $67m (£47m), Kapsch will utilise radio-frequency identification (RFID) toll readers, automated number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras and scanners in the mixed-mode lanes. The company will also install its stereoscopic vehicle detection and classification sensor (nVDC) in the all-electronic toll lanes.

RFID?  Could this be a hint at future interoperability between E-ZPass and other transponders?