I-270 Congestion Management Project One-Third Complete
Maryland Eyes Innovative Fix for I-270 Congestion
MONDAY JULY 08, 2019
BY: BRENDA RUGGIERO, CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT GUIDE
The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) is well into an Innovative Congestion Management (ICM) project in Montgomery County that is designed to reduce congestion on I-270 (Eisenhower Highway) through innovative technologies and techniques.
The total cost of the multi-lane freeway project is expected to be $111.8 million. Work was back in progress this spring following a winter hiatus and is anticipated to be complete by the end of 2020. As of late May, the work was reported as 33 percent complete.
According to Shanteé Felix, assistant media relations manager, Office of Communications, MDOT SHA, the ICM work is made up of 14 roadway improvements — including extending merge lanes and adding local and continuous flow lanes — that will eliminate bottlenecks.
"Some of the technology being used includes ramp metering, a proven concept that uses ramp meters to manage merging traffic from ramps to the mainline; and an automated traffic flow management system that combines real-time communication to drivers, traffic monitoring with cameras and sensors and intelligent signal systems," Felix said.
The prime contractor is Concrete General of Gaithersburg, Md. Besides Concrete General, the design-build team includes Rummel, Klepper & Kahl (RK&K) (lead design firm), Baltimore; Bruce & Merrilees Electric Co., Abingdon, Md.; CH2M Hill Inc., Baltimore.; Stokes Creative Group Inc., Baltimore; T3 Design Corporation, Fairfax, Va.; Floura Teeter Landscape Architects Inc., Baltimore.; Axis Geospatial LLC, Easton, Md.; Precision Measurements Inc., Woodstock, Md.; Edwards Utility Mapping Corporation, Fredericksburg, Va.; E2CR, Inc., Baltimore; Airport Design Consultants Inc., Ellicott City, Md; ECO Integration Inc., Columbia, Md.; Athavale, Lystad & Associates Inc., Bethesda, Md.; iDesign Engineering Inc., Silver Spring, Md; and O.R. George Associates Inc., Lanham, Md.
