Free Republic

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland which crosses the Patapsco River has reportedly Collapsed within the last few minutes after being Struck by a Large Container Ship

Maryland transportation officials announced Thursday that they have selected Australian toll road operator Transurban to develop high-occupancy toll lanes for the Capital Beltway and Interstate 270, potentially cementing the company’s dominance in the Washington region. If Transurban and its partner, Australian investment bank Macquarie Capital, ultimately reach a 50-year deal with the state to build and operate the lanes, Transurban eventually would control 102 miles of express toll lanes around the nation’s capital — 37 in Maryland and 65 in Northern Virginia. Connecting high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes in the two states would mark the beginnings of a regional network of...

In 1965, Mary Jane McGuire, her husband Cyril and their three children received a letter from the Michigan State Highway Department. It informed them that their Lansing home, where the family had lived for the past decade, would be demolished to make way for construction of Interstate 496. The letter was followed by an offer of federal dollars to purchase their property, a number the McGuires felt was far below its actual value. The couple’s initial refusal to accept the offer meant they were one of the final families of their African-American neighborhood to be displaced for construction of the...

Bath Township, MICHIGAN (WJRT) - (08/21/2018) - The Michigan Department of Transportation tweeted out photos of a motorcycle on I-69 missing its driver. MDOT is using the photos as reminder of the importance of driving safety in work zones as the busy construction season is wrapping up. Their Facebook Post, which has generated thousands of responses and shares, asks if you have lost a motorcycle driving on I-69 in Clinton County Monday. One of the photos, which appears to show tire imprints in wet concrete, serves as a reminder of why it's not a good idea to use closed lanes...

By this point in the Interstate 696 rebuild project, state transportation officials had envisioned drivers headed eastbound would have been shifted to new concrete paved on the westbound side. That hasn't happened -- yet. A spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Transportation said Thursday the changeover likely will take place the week of August 20. "Early plans did expect the traffic shift to be in late July, but it's up to the contractor to organize his work crew and locations," Diane Cross of MDOT's communications staff said in an email. "As long as he meets the contract reopening date in...

When state construction crews begin work on westbound Interstate 696 in Roseville this spring, they’ll have to knock off the noise at some point in the night. The Roseville City Council recently rejected a request by the Michigan Department of Transportation to work 24 hours a day, seven days week on the $90 million project. “We are worried about the peace and quiet of our residents who live near the freeway as they are trying to get to sleep at night,” said Mayor Pro Tem Jan Haggerty. MDOT plans to shut down the entire span of westbound I-696 from Interstate...

The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) completed its annual Consolidated Transportation Plan (CTP) tour of the state's 23 counties and Baltimore City to discuss transportation priorities. The Hogan Administration's investment of $14.7 billion in Maryland's transportation network was briefed to citizens, county leaders and local officials over the course of six weeks to ensure transparency and dialogue with the customers who are affected by MDOT SHA projects in their region. Maryland's transportation network consists of more than 31,000 mi. of roadway, more than 5,000 bridges and two tunnels providing safe, reliable and efficient movement of people...

As state officials launch a project to add toll lanes to Interstate 270 and the Beltway, they also are exploring the benefits of privatizing maintenance of existing highway sections. The Maryland Department of Transportation last week began soliciting input from businesses on the estimated $7.6 billion plan to expand Interstate 495 through Maryland and I-270 from the Beltway to Frederick. A separate but related $1.4 billion plan calls for adding capacity to I-295. During a Sept. 21 press conference, Gov. Larry Hogan said his idea for relieving congestion on the state’s largest thoroughfares relies on finding a private partner to...

OAKLAND — The Maryland Department of Transportation is taking another look at the Oakland bypass project. Deputy Transportation Secretary Jim Ports made the announcement during MDOT’s annual meeting with local residents and officials last Friday morning at the courthouse. Every year, MDOT officials present a draft of their six-year Consolidated Transportation Program (CTP) during a tour of Maryland’s 23 counties and Baltimore City. “We have decided to reignite the decision for the Oakland bypass,” Ports told local residents last week. “We’re going to look at a practical-design approach to try and save money.” He said the decision was made after...

Dive Brief: The Michigan Department of Transportation announced it will take on private-sector partners to finish a $1 billion state highway modernization project in Oakland County, MI. Using the public-private partnership (P3) model to design, build, finance and maintain the remainder of the project, rather than waiting on public funds to become available, could shorten the construction schedule by up to a decade, The Detroit News reported. MDOT will issue requests for qualifications from potential private partners before the end of the year, and it anticipates the selection process will wrap up in the summer and fall of 2018. The...

A new collection of transportation agencies and universities is taking one small step toward transforming the Rust Belt into a place associated with the future instead of the past. Eleven agencies and institutions located in Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania have formed the Smart Belt Coalition, which will spur joint efforts on the testing and deployment of autonomous and connected cars. The collaboration comes on the heels of a legislative overhaul of Michigan regulations last month, which have been relaxed to spur the testing of self-driving technology on the state’s public roads. Ohio and Pennsylvania do not have laws on the...

ROCKVILLE, Md. — With a new governor viewed as road-friendly in Annapolis, one Montgomery County lawmaker hopes toll lanes on Interstate 270 are a possibility. County Councilmember Roger Berliner supports converting the two High Occupancy Vehicle lanes on I-270 into reversible toll lanes. “We backed a plan six years ago with two reversible lanes. People in carpools or transit vehicles ride free; everyone else would have to pay a toll,” says Berliner. The concept would be similar to the new 95 Express Lanes in Virginia between Stafford County and Alexandria. Similar to Virginia, any project in Maryland would likely require...

HANOVER, Md. - Sources tell ABC2News.com that several people have been injured after an explosion at the Maryland Department of Transportation Headquarters in Anne Arundel County. Sources also say it may have been an improvised explosive device. It happened just after 1pm Thursday afternoon. ABC2 News reporter, Don Harrison, is at the scene where fire crews are treating those who were hurt. Hazardous Materials units are also at the scene along with K-9 units. Authorities are working to set up a mobile command Authorities have not released any more information. Stay with abc2news.com for updates.

The State Auditor’s Office is investigating a contract with the Mississippi Department of Transportation that paid more than $800,000 in public money to a railroad consultant in Virginia -- an expense that has “astounded” one top state transportation official. Officials with MDOT, the Auditor’s Office and others remain tight-lipped during the investigation of a contract for $100 an hour for railroad advice from Bill Hughes of Hughes Consulting, which is based in Roanoke, Va. One top official to whom the consulting-services invoices were sent is no longer with MDOT, but officials there wouldn’t comment on his departure. Invoices from Hughes...