Advertisement Van Hollen urges National Park Service to repair B-W Parkway Share Shares Copy Link Copy

U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen is urging the National Park Service to repair the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.Van Hollen wrote a letter to NPS Acting Director Dan Smith, calling on the park service to expedite repairs to the pothole-riddled highway.Earlier this month, the park service reduced the speed limit on a portion of the B-W Parkway due to what it called "poor road conditions." The park service said conditions on the road have continued to deteriorate, particularly throughout February. Officials said crews have been working to patch potholes on the parkway.A long-planned project to repave the parkway from Maryland Routes 197 to 198 is scheduled to begin in the fall, but officials said they're looking into short-term solutions and ways to start the work sooner.Following is Van Hollen's letter follows in its entirety."Dear Mr. Smith:"I am writing on behalf of my constituents regarding the unacceptable driving conditions on parts of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. It is an unsafe situation that needs to be remedied immediately through expedited action by the National Park Service and its federal partners. "As you know, the National Park Service recently lowered the speed limit on the BW Parkway between MD Routes 197 and 32 to 40 miles per hour in order for drivers to be able to react to the poor road conditions. Other short-term solutions such as filling in potholes with asphalt have been ineffective and this road remains hazardous for drivers."My constituents have reported that the current road conditions have caused unnecessary congestion, crashes, and debris. NPS Superintendent Matthew Carroll informed my staff that full reconstruction of this portion of the Parkway, including extensive mill and overlay, will begin in late summer 2019. This timeline is unacceptable. Lowering the speed limit is not an adequate substitute for repair, and it will not ensure the safety of Maryland commuters and other vehicles on this heavily traveled highway."In order to protect the public safety it is essential that you work with the Federal Highway Administration to accelerate this schedule. I look forward to your response. If there are any reasons why you cannot start these repairs immediately, please let me know what they are so that we can work together to address them."