Posted on 01/22/2020 8:54:40 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Dive Brief:
In what Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is calling "a monumental and historic achievement," the three-member state Board of Public Works voted Wednesday to approve amendments to the public-private partnership (P3) that will deliver Hogan's $9 billion Traffic Relief Plan. The plan includes implementation of Maryland and Virginia's Capital Beltway Accord, which allows for a new American Legion Bridge between the two states near Washington, D.C., and the approval will allow the state to solicit bids.
In order to win a majority vote for the plan, Hogan agreed to eliminate from the first phase of the project the widening of the Washington, D.C., Beltway (I-495) from I-270 to Interstate 95 North, WJLA reported. The project will use a phased approach, and the first section will include I-495 from south of the George Washington Memorial Parkway to I-270 and I-270 from I-495 to I-370. The other sections will be put out to bid on a future date.
The Washington, D.C., area, according to the governor's office, has the second-worst traffic congestion in the U.S., and without a plan to relieve that congestion, motorists could see a 74% increase in the amount of time they have to fight traffic by 2040.
Dive Insight:
In November, the Maryland DOT issued a presolicitation information memo about the first phase of the project and estimated that it would cost between $2 billion and $5 billion. The winner of the first phase will design, build and finance managed lanes from Virginia into Maryland, replace the American Legion Bridge and provide operations and maintenance services for a term of 50 years.
(Excerpt) Read more at constructiondive.com ...
Maryland “Freak State” PING!
Multi-billion dollar fixes...
The Leftists are experts in that field.
All union jobs...
Let me see more bike lanes, and More carpool lanes, Light rail, High speed rail, More electric bus’s.. No more freeways..
It would serve everyone well....if they just moved one-third of the DC agencies and employees....out of the region entirely (beyond Maryland or Virginia).
My god,three people on a “board” (controlled by libtards) make monumental decisions and rubber stamped by a governor.
They’re also building these express lanes in Florida, Washington (state), Colorado and California. The problems isn’t so much federal workers as it is population growth, mostly from an abundant immigration policy, combined with a prohibition on tolling of existing federally-funded highway lanes, IMO.*
*Note: I would only approve tolling on existing lanes following a major improvement or reconstruction. YMMV.
It’s desperately needed and should have been done a long time ago.
And fired another 1/3rd.
A new Legion bridge and widening is definitely needed, however I note 2 things:
1) The traffic will expand to fill the new capacity, and
2) “managed lanes” = Lexus lanes. This won’t help with the problem. Most people don’t use the Lexus lanes already in existence now. If they really want to reduce congestion, then get rid of the Lexus lanes.
‘Light fail’ is a classic boondoggle.
Solution: cut Federal bureaucrat functions and powers, or move to the state govts
Agreed. In addition, move current federal bureaucracies outside of the District of Columbia. What causes the traffic problem is all the thousands of federal workers trying to squeeze into and out of D.C. at the same time.
“Maryland and Virginia’s Capital Beltway Accord, which allows for a new American Legion Bridge between the two states near Washington, D.C.”
Maryland made a clusterscrew of things when the Woodrow Wilson was replaced by demanding that Virginia use only union labor. Took at least two years and a couple of law suits to get things rolling..
Virginia is democrat controlled now so they might roll over for the union thing.
Wonder what other wrench Maryland will throw in the gears?
The country would be better served if 1/3 of the fed “workers” were immediately RIF-ed.
Thanks Dave.
Light fail’ is a classic boondoggle!!
I know they voted for that here and it was only suppose to cost 7 billion.. $35 billion later it keeps going and going up in cost..
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