(l to r) Deputy MVA Administrator Doug Simmons, Deputy Transportation Secretary Wilson Parran and Beth Carter of the Mass Transit Administration
Leonardtown, MD — The Maryland Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) annual “Road Show” pulled into St. Mary’s County on October 28th bringing very little money with them. Although there are a number of major projects in the state’s six-year plan for Southern Maryland, there is no construction money available for those projects, which include the Gov. Thomas Johnson Bridge replacement, the Harry Nice Bridge replacement, improvements to the Great Mills Road/Route 5 intersection including the bridge over the St. Mary’s River, the next section of the widening of Routes 2/4 in Prince Frederick, Route 5 in Leonardtown and Route 5 in lower St. Mary’s County.
Every year MDOT officials visit the counties to unveil their six-year plan (the so-called Road Show). Deputy Secretary of Transportation Wilson Parran, former Calvert County Commissioner, led the discussion with the county commissioners and Delegates John Bohanan (D: 29-B) and Tony O’Donnell (R: 29-C). With Parran were Deputy Secretary of the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) Doug Simmons and Beth Carter of the Mass Transit Administration along with a number of other MDOT staffers seated in the audience.
“The goal is to get projects out the door and to the citizens as soon a possible,” Parran said.
One small project that had not been previously discussed and vetted in the community popped up at the meeting. The state plans this fiscal year to replace the four-way intersection at Routes 234/242 with a roundabout. There was considerable community opposition to that idea when it was suggested a number of years ago. A community meeting on it is planned for some time in the future, but in the meantime rights-of-way are being secured, which indicates the project is going forward. Projected cost is almost $3 million.
The only other projects with construction funding are the one now under way to add an additional lane to Route 4 from Route 235 to Patuxent Boulevard ($10 million) and the replacement of the bridge on Route 5 over Eastern Branch ($4 million).
Parran did note that several projects that could benefit commuters have been added to the construction program, including relocation of the Routes 5/373 intersection in Brandywine and adding shoulders to Route 4 north of the Calvert County line in Anne Arundel County.
The big ticket item and the region’s number one transportation priority, the Thomas Johnson Bridge replacement has no construction funding and its $1 billion price tag presents a major challenge.
O’Donnell suggested the state look at breakout projects with the overall project since it includes not only a new four-lane bridge but the roads on either side of it.
Bohanan suggested that the only way that the big ticket items such as the bridge will be completed is with a public-private partnership, which could mean tolls such as with the Dulles Connector in Virginia.
The state six-year plan calls for spending $16 billion on transportation projects. One of them, the Metro Red Line has become a target of legislators and candidates from Southern Maryland, with the suggestion that the Red Line postponed in deference to the Thomas Johnson Bridge, which is seen critical to the future of Pax River, one of the state’s primary economic assets.
What to do about the Great Mills bottleneck is being studied. Replacement of the bridge is seen as the long-term solution, but fiscal consideration may lead to a short term fix, such as adding a lane of two to the bridge.
O’Donnell also suggested the state reconsider a full light at Route 235 and Buck Hewitt Road. He also asked about the holdup of the traffic light at Route 235 at St. John’s Road in Hollywood. He was told since that was developer-financed there was nothing the state could do to speed up the process.