Agency representatives will be at the Aug. 24th Frederick Keys game.
Frederick, Md (KM). The Maryland State Highway Administration is seeking comments from citizens on proposals to improve traffic flow on Interstate 270. Lisa Choplin with SHA says it’s part of a managed lane study of the Capitol Beltway and I-270 just north of I-370. “Looking to see how we can address the traffic congestion that’s been occurring there for years and years, and try to bring some relief to the area,” she says.
Choplin says SHA has developed several alternatives to help alleviate traffic congestion. “Improvements to the existing general purpose lanes; the potential for adding price-managed lanes; as well as looking transit alternatives. So we have a wide range of alternatives, 15 altogether,” she says.
The alternatives also include widening the highway to two lanes on each side from the Capitol Beltway to just north of I-370. That would mean eight lanes along that stretch of I-270, which would reduce to the six lanes through I-370, and then down o the two lanes north of Route 121.
Even though this does not affect I-270 in Frederick County, Choplin says local residents should provide their comments on the 15 alternatives “So those folks that live in Frederick who are using Interstate 270 to commute not just down to Washington DC but further along the corridor are caught in the same traffic congestion that affects everyone along that interstate,” she says.
SHA will set up as display on this project at Harry Grove Stadium by 7:00 PM on August 24th. Choplin says SHA wants feedback from the fans attending the Frederick Keys game that night.. “How do they commute to work? How do they get from one point to another on I-270, whether it’s taking their child to a soccer game, or going to work. :We want their feedback,” she says.
Other ways to offer comments include taking a survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VYQ5P9N. Citizens can go the project’s comment page at https://495-270-P3.com/contact/ They can also send an e-mail to [email protected]. There a toll free phone number of 1-833-858-5960 to call in and offer comments.
They can also send a letter to:
Maryland State Department of Transportation
State Highway Administration
I-495 & I-270 P3 Office
707 Calvert Street
Mail Stop P-601
Baltimore, Md. 21202
The deadline to submit comments is August. 27th.
“Our focus is to reduce those 15 alternatives to a smaller number that we will retain for further study. And we’ll come back to the public in either late this fall, or early next year,” says Choplin.
She says a study of I-270 north of I-370 will also get underway soon. “There is a second study that will be initiated in 2019 that will connect at I-370 and take us all the way up to I-70 in Frederick,” says Choplin.
By Kevin McManus