Design work expected to be completed by next year.
Frederick, Md (KM) After many years of discussion, work is expected to begin soon on the US Route 15 widening project. That’s according to Secretary Paul Wiedelfeld with the Maryland Department of Transportation. “The Governor with the General Assembly did provide some additional funding so we can get that project started as quickly as possible,” he said.
The project calls for the widening of US Route 15 from Interstate 70 to Md. Route 26 in Frederick from two to three lanes. “We’ re looking at finishing design sometime in ’26, and then putting it out for bid and getting under construction. Probably in ’28 by the time we get through the final design and the bid process. It takes roughly about four years. It’s a $160-million project–a little more than $160-million. It’s a big project,” he says.
Secretary Wiedefeld was asked why it takes so .long for road projects to move from concept to design to actual construction. “Basically, you’re working around traffic. You got to do that very carefully and we got to where we minimize the impact on the existing line. So that can be a little bit longer to do a project then if you’re doing in it in a greenfield type of environment,” he explained.
The widening of US Route 15 had been the top transportation priority in Frederick County for the past several years.
On another topic, Secretary Wiedefeld tried to answer a question from some Frederick County residents about why can’t the MARC train operate on weekends instead of just rush hour times during the weekdays. He says the State Transportation Department is discussing that with CSX. “We don’t own that railroad. That’s CSX. It’s part of negotiations with them because they have served us long there. Actually, there’s an AMTRAK line that runs there once a day. You have to fit it around their schedule as well,” he says,.
Expanding the MARC train service won’t be cheap. “So there would have to be most likely some investments made to that system, So that is something that we will be working with CSX on to see how we can do that,” says Wiedefled.
State officials say the MARC train system carries an average of 14,000 riders each day. The Brunswick line transports 3051 passengers each day, according to 2024 statistics.
By Kevin McManus