Amid the recent debate over Maryland’s plan to replace the American Legion Bridge and extend express lanes on the Capital Beltway and Interstate 270, an important constituency is too often overlooked: The congestion-weary commuting public that takes 300,000 daily trips on this stretch of highway.
Providing them with long-awaited relief is why the Maryland Board of Public Works must approve a contract to build the project at its meeting Wednesday.
This stretch of the Beltway has been among the most heavily traveled and congested segments of our highway network for decades. The American Legion Bridge provides the only direct connection between the region’s two largest counties – Fairfax and Montgomery counties, which comprise nearly 40% of the region’s population and jobs. Without infrastructure funding support, the safety of the mobile public – the family driving to a soccer game, the truck driver delivering essential goods, emergency personnel – is at risk.
With the bridge approaching its 60th birthday, all parties – including those who oppose the project – agree that simply rehabilitating the ailing structure is insufficient. The crossing must be replaced with a safer and more secure structure that will properly serve current and future travel needs.
Simply put, the project offers an “everybody wins” scenario.
Phase 1, replacement and expansion of the American Legion Bridge from I-270 to I-70, will vastly improve the infrastructure for Maryland drivers, provide 7,500 high-paying, high-quality jobs; cut down on emissions and pollution; and significantly decrease travel times.
Express lanes work – whether for those who choose to pay the toll, those who use the less-congested free lanes or carpoolers who use the express lanes free of charge. Virginia’s express lanes resulted in a boost in carpooling and a 20% reduction in traffic in the general-purpose lanes, and the Maryland Department of Transportation’s models project a 30% overall reduction in general-purpose lanes, with a 25% reduction in afternoon traffic.
Further, MDOT is committed to a bike and pedestrian connection over the American Legion Bridge and Potomac River to the C&O Canal.
let them expand these highways and forget about a new bridge over the BAY and screwing up the Eastern Shore anymore. Democrats wants to move people into communes and high rises then let them do that on the Western shore. Don’t screw up the Eastern Shore Country Life.
What a future traffic nightmare. I will take 12 summer saturdays with our 90 bridge anyday. IF i had to go out on a Saturday….which i dont. I laugh from the assawoman bay on early weekends, then hightail it to safe harbor prior to the weekend warrior boaters come out.
Thank god its mid august and the true season (off season) is about to begin!!!
Monkey County is the one that is trying to block this. Why? Greed! They know if people can move out of such a high taxed county they will if the drive isn’t as bad. If their money leaves they are only left with the illegals that are driving down property values because of crime in that area. Traffic in that area is horrible. It was horrible 30 years ago when we left. The farms are gone, replaced by thousands of huge houses on tiny lots. I wonder how much it costs to heat and air condition those huge houses that have 2 or 3 people living in them and at the same time they complain about global warming. While is used to be a nice place to live the liberals have ruined it.