Funding has been secured for widening US 15 from I-70 to Md. 26.
Frederick, Md (KM) Widening US 15 from Interstate 70 to Md 26 is no longer Frederick County’s top transportation priority, and that’s a good thing. “We are fully funded in the final CTP for FY 23 to FY 28, in fiscal years FY 26, FY 27 and FY 28. We do not have to submit an application for that project to get any of this additional funding in those out years,”: says Mark Mishler, the County’s Transportation Engineering Supervisor. He told the Council on Tuesday the funding totals about $165=million.
CTP stands for Consolidate Transportation Funding.
Mishler says the widening of I-70 between I-270 and Mount Phillip Road moves up a little further on the list. “In terms of today, it has now moved up to number one on our priority list. . I would hope with some of the infrastructure money and things that we have moving forward that that could be a project where we could see some design funding in the future,” says Mishler.
The Council was considering the 2023 Transportation Priories list during its Tuesday meeting.
There was also another change made to the list. Councilman Steve McKay asked his colleagues to consider a request to flip two projects when it comes to preliminary planning. Currently, the widening of US 15 from Md 464 to US 340 is number one, and a proposed Libertytown connector road is number two. That road would connect Md 550 with Md 75 north of Libertytown. McKay says it would reduce the number of large trucks and other traffic from traveling through Libertytown. “We know we have some fairly significant issues in terms of the convergence of roadways in Libertytown right now. And that connector up there has been the can that’s been kicked down the road many times,” McKay says.
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Md 75, Md 550 and Md 26 all travel through Libertytown.
But a majority on the board wanted to keep the US 15 project as number one. One is Councilwoman Renee Knapp. “I live in Adamstown. I travel that road several times a week, and it is a safety issue. it’s noted as being the first priority,” she said. “It’s become a safety issue getting public safety vehicles through the area.”
Councilwoman MC Keegan-Ayer agrees. “There were some horrific accidents on that road, and I don’t want to go back there. So anything we can do to improve the safety on that road,” she said.
The Council agreed to keep US 15 widening from Md 464 to US 340 on the priorities list. But members agreed to place a Libertytown connector as number four on its priorities list.
By Consensus, the County Council agreed to forward this list in a letter to Maryland’s Secretary of Transportation. Paul Wiedenfeld.
By Kevin McManus