Beltway widening projects depend on finding funds
A reader posted these questions to the Getting There blog. I thought they were worth answering by going straight to the source -- Dave Buck of the State Highway Adminiistration. Here are the questions:
I recall hearing that (Gov. Robert L. ) Ehrlich passed a project to widen the West side outer loop of the Beltway to four lanes and it would start around 2009 or 2010.
What's the status on that?Also, what about the triple bridges connecting I-70 to I-695? A ton of traffic just sits on the ramp from I-70 trying to get onto the Inner Loop of the Beltway. The bridges are also built in such a way that only three lanes in each direction can get through on the Beltway and there is no shoulder. What is the plan to fix that?
To which Buck replied:
SHA recently widened the outer loop of I-695 between Frederick Road and I-95, which has helped quite a bit on the west side. This opened to traffic in August 2005. However, I think the citizen is inquiring about additional widening on I-695 between US 40 and MD 144.
$4.3 million has been committed to fully fund the design and right-of-way phases (not construction) for the widening of the outer loop between US 40 and MD 144, Frederick Road.
Given the amount of construction funding needed (close to $100 million) to advance the widening of this section of the outer loop of I-695, a breakout project has been identified to occur in advance of the widening - the replacement of the I-695/Frederick Road Bridge. If construction funding can be identified, our goal is to have this bridge replacement under way in the next few years. Widening on the outer loop between US 40 and MD 144 could follow, dependent upon funding.
Regarding your reader's second question, any improvements to the triple bridges are going to be further down the line as Baltimore County has priorities in different areas along I-695, including the Frederick Road Bridge, outer loop widening between US 40 and MD 144 and inner loop widening between Perring Parkway and Harford Road.
In the area of the triple bridges, the ramps from I-70 to the outer loop toward Catonsville certainly will benefit from the eventual outer loop widening. The I-70 ramps to the inner loop toward Liberty Road tend to back up for a few reasons: both eastbound and westbound I-70 ramps to the inner loop merge together prior to the mainline of I-695; and volume during the peak hours can overwhelm the interchange ramps.
As you can imagine, any reconstruction of the triple bridges is going to be quite complex and quite expensive.
Comments
Mike,
Thanks for getting those answers so quickly. Man, that was fast. Too bad it sounds like these improvements won't be nearly as fast as the answers. Maybe the Red Line will be built soon and can help alleviate some of the traffic woes.
Posted by: Jason | November 6, 2009 2:18 PM
Funds for new road construction are tight, but SHA’s approach to sprinkling a little money here and there with breakout projects is coming up short. Talk of $4 billion projects to widen I-270 when SHA can’t finish extending a lane on the Baltimore Beltway for just a few miles is all the more upsetting. The entire Westside Beltway outer loop from Security Blvd to I-95 was planned for widening with a few miles complete from Frederick Rd south. Finishing the last few miles in 1 or 2 larger projects seems much more cost-effective, less disruptive to motorists, and would deliver some congestion relief and safety improvements. We can appreciate the financial constraints on SHA, but having so many small breakout projects seems to negate their effectiveness. Beltway widening is expensive, but one should consider that new capacity and safety improvements on I-695 have regional benefits, not just local. This project has been planned since 1990. Adding lanes isn’t the only impetus for the Beltway project. The widening would fix merging and weaving areas, ramp geometrics, lighting, and replace badly deteriorated bridges. This section of the Beltway opened in the 1950s and is obsolete by every standard. SHA should allocate funding to finish what’s been started and deliver a safer Beltway facility for the entire Baltimore region.
Posted by: SgtHarry67 | November 7, 2009 1:20 PM
I have to agree that widening the Beltway in those areas would also make it much safer for motorists. The bridges are deteriorating and many of the ramps in those areas to enter and exit the beltway are not the best.
Posted by: Ron | November 9, 2009 7:41 AM