For Immediate Release:
January 14, 2016
Contact:
Hannah Marr hannah.marr@maryland.gov
Shareese Churchill shareese.churchill@maryland.gov
410-974-2316
Governor Hogan Joins Howard County Executive Kittleman to Announce $152 Million to Widen MD 32 to I-70
Planning Study Underway to Widen MD 32 in Carroll County
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan today announced $152 million to widen MD 32 to Interstate 70 and begin the exploration and studying of continued widening into Carroll County. The announcement further demonstrates the administration’s commitment to invest in long-overdue highway and bridge projects and to improve safety by reducing congestion. The governor was joined by Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman and other elected officials from Howard and Carroll counties. This project will widen the entire nine-mile stretch from a two-lane undivided highway to a four-lane divided highway.
“Our administration has made it very clear that building, maintaining, and fixing Maryland’s roads and bridges is our top transportation priority,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “This long-overdue funding to reduce congestion and improve safety along MD 32 is just one more way that we are changing Maryland for the better.”
Today’s investment is in addition to the $2 billion in shovel-ready highway and bridge projects that the governor announced in June. Last week, Governor Hogan committed to providing $231 million for highway user revenues in Fiscal Year 2017, an 18 percent increase in funding for the counties and municipalities to invest in local roads.
The MD 32 widening project will be completed in three phases, with Phase I scheduled to begin in summer 2016. This project will widen MD 32 to a four-lane divided highway from MD 108 to Linden Church Road for a total cost of $33 million and will be jointly funded by the state and Howard County, each investing $16.5 million. This busy roadway is expected to have an increase of average daily traffic from 30,400 to 58,000 vehicles by 2035.
“This is a great example of the kind of partnership that will put a shovel in the ground and truly make a positive impact. Route 32 is one of the most congested roads in the region and causes considerable delays and safety concerns for thousands of motorists every day, many of whom live or work in Howard County,” said County Executive Allan H. Kittleman. “Through this creative solution with the state, we are able to move this project forward much more quickly. I thank Governor Hogan for working with us to make this a reality.”
Phase II is a $107 million project to widen MD 32 to a four-lane divided highway from Linden Church Road to Interstate 70. This project will get started in 2019, along with another $6 million project to replace the structurally deficient bridge that carries Tridelphia Road over MD 32. Replacing the bridge is required to provide for the wider MD 32 roadway below. There will be several opportunities for the community to provide input on the design of Phase II.
Phase III, which began in fall 2015, is a planning study to determine what is needed to widen MD 32 in Carroll County from I-70 to MD 26. Another related project includes $5 million in intersection improvements near the armory in Sykesville.