Governor Larry Hogan Announces $1.97 Billion in Transportation Funding

Counties’ Roadway Priorities to Get Underway by 2018 – Funding Will Fix All Structurally Deficient State-Owned Bridges

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Following through on his campaign pledge to provide funding for highways and state-owned local roads, Governor Larry Hogan today announced $1.97 billion for highways and bridges from Western Maryland to the Eastern Shore. The priority projects, which will get underway by 2018, include $1.35 billion in new projects going to construction and $625 million in preserved projects. The $1.35 billion in new projects includes $845 million for major projects and $500 million to fix bridges and improve roads.

“Today, I’m delivering on my promise to provide nearly $2 billion in funding to our highways and bridges across the state,” said Governor Hogan. “This investment not only will move long-awaited highway projects into construction, so that Maryland families and businesses will benefit from safer, smoother roads, but also it will address every single structurally deficient bridge in the state. Building, maintaining, and fixing Maryland’s roads and bridges is a top priority of our administration.”

In addition, Governor Hogan also announced he has directed the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) to move forward with a more cost-effective and streamlined version of the Purple Line that will connect Bethesda in Montgomery County to New Carrollton in Prince George’s County. Under this scaled back version of the project, the state share in the Purple Line will be only $168 million – a fraction of the original proposal, which would have cost the state close to $700 million.

“I have always said this decision was never about whether public transit was worthwhile, but whether it is affordable and makes sense,” said Governor Hogan. “In reducing costs here, hundreds of millions of dollars will become available for other important projects. Our administration promised to chart a new course for Maryland – one where economic development and jobs are our top priority. The Purple Line is a long-term investment that will be an important economic driver for our state.”

The $1.97 billion in 84 projects includes:

$790 million for 10 projects that support economic development

$250 million to repave 1,959 lane miles of highway

$355 million to improve safety in 25 locations

$25 million to fix drainage and keep roads from flooding in 10 locations

$355 million for 13 projects to improve traffic flow

$195 million to repair 26 bridges

The $195 million to repair 26 bridges will be combined with $830.7 million in existing state funds to fix the current list of 70 state-owned structurally deficient bridges and maintain existing bridges.

The $845 million in newly funded top priority projects were identified by local and state elected officials in their county priority letters presented annually to MDOT, including:

MD 404 – Widening MD 404 from two to four lanes with a median from US 50 to the Denton Bypass (Talbot and Caroline counties’ top unfunded regional priority);

I-270 – Implementing Innovative Congestion Reduction Strategies (Maryland Department of Transportation’s pilot project to develop statewide congestion tools);

US 113 – Widening US 113 from two to four lanes with a median from Five Mile Branch Road to north of Public Landing Road (Worcester County’s #1 priority);

US 219 – Upgrading US 219 north of I-68 and building a new interchange at I-68 (Garrett County’s #1 priority);

MD 175/MD 295 – Reconstructing the MD 175/MD 295 interchange to improve access to Fort George G. Meade (Anne Arundel County’s #1 priority);

US 50 – Reconfiguring traffic lanes along US 50 eastbound over Severn River Bridge to provide an additional lane to reduce congestion (Anne Arundel County’s #2 priority);

I-95/I-495 – Upgrading the existing partial interchange at the Greenbelt Metro Station to a full interchange to support the proposed FBI headquarters (Prince George’s County’s #1 priority);

US 1 – Reconstructing US 1 to a four-lane divided highway with a median and bicycle/pedestrian safety improvements from College Avenue to MD 193 (Prince George’s County’s #2 priority);

MD 140 – Widening Northbound MD 140 (Reisterstown Road) to add a third lane from Painters Mill to Garrison View Road (Baltimore County’s #2 priority);

MD 2/4 – Widening MD 2/4 to provide a third through lane and auxiliary lanes in each direction from north of Stoakley Road to south of MD 765A (Calvert County’s #1 priority);

MD 5 – Improving the intersection at MD 5 (Point Lookout Road) and Moakley Street/Abell Street (Breakout project for St. Mary’s County #2 major highway priority);

MD 5 – Improving safety along Point Lookout Road from Camp Brown Road to Ranger Station (St. Mary’s County #2 minor highway priority); and

MD 85/I-270 – Reconstructing the I-270/MD 85 interchange to reduce congestion and upgrade structurally deficient bridges (Frederick County’s #1 priority).