Governor Larry Hogan has announced a significant step forward in bringing the administration’s $9 billion Traffic Relief Plan to fruition with the signing of a General Agreement between the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and the State of Maryland to evaluate the transfer of the portion of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway (I-295) that runs through Maryland from DOI to the state.
“Today’s progress is critical to the success of our Traffic Relief Plan for the state,” said Governor Hogan. “We look forward to working with Secretary Zinke and the Department of the Interior to conduct the necessary studies and surveys that we hope will ultimately allow for Maryland to take ownership of a portion of I-295 in order to move forward with our plan to relieve traffic congestion for our region.”
The Agreement, signed by Governor Hogan and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, commits DOI and the state to working together to explore potential legislative solutions to effectuate a transfer or exchange of the portion of I-295 that runs through Prince George’s and Anne Arundel Counties, which is currently administered by the National Park Service.
Maryland has the second-longest commuting times in the country, and the National Capital Region is the most congested region in the nation, based on annual delay and congestion cost per auto-commuter. The statewide cost of congestion based on auto delay, truck delay, and wasted fuel and emissions was estimated at $2 billion in 2015.
The Hogan administration’s $9 billion Traffic Relief Plan, announced in September 2017, is the largest highway Public-Private Partnership in North America. In addition to the proposed widening of I-295, the plan includes adding new lanes to I-270 and I-495, the Capital Beltway.
Governor Hogan discussed the transfer of I-295 from the federal government to the state during a meeting with Secretary Zinke in September 2017, and subsequently directed Maryland Department of Transportation officials to move forward with negotiations resulting in the General Agreement. Going forward, the state will work with DOI to fulfill the obligations stated in the Agreement. Following the transfer, the Maryland Transportation Authority would then build, operate, and maintain the new lanes and maintain existing lanes between Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
