Washington County leaders will have a chance to discuss transportation project priorities with state officials during the Maryland Department of Transportation's annual visit to the county in October, county Public Works Director Joseph Kroboth III said Tuesday.
The meeting with the Washington County Board of Commissioners is scheduled for Oct. 6 at 10 a.m., Kroboth said.
A list compiled by Kroboth of potential projects to discuss at the meeting included 35 pedestrian, bicycle, highway, mass-transit, aviation and park-and-ride-related projects.
Many are the same projects the county discussed with state officials last year, but one new addition to the list is the need for upgrades to the interchange at Interstate 70 and Md. 65, Kroboth said.
"There is development potential in that Md. 65 corridor, and there is some deficiency with that particular interchange and safety issues, some of which will be addressed by developers," Kroboth said.
However, at a cost of $12 million to $16 million, rebuilding the interchange is too large of an investment for a private-sector company to undertake, Kroboth said.
An expansion of the Hagerstown Regional Airport terminal also is on the list, he said.
Commissioner Ruth Anne Callaham suggested adding to the list a study of ways to alleviate heavy truck traffic through the town of Williamsport, which takes a toll on roads there.
The list of projects will be submitted to the state agency in advance so a meeting agenda can be established, Kroboth said.
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I-70, Md. 65 interchange upgrades added to transportation priorities list
Washington County leaders prepare to meet with Maryland Department of Transportation officials
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Transportation priority list
Projects and issues listed for potential discussion at the Oct. 6 meeting between the Washington County Commissioners and the Maryland Department of Transportation include:
Pedestrian mode
Sidewalk construction along:
- U.S. 11 (Virginia Avenue) from Halfway Boulevard to the Williamsport town limits
- U.S. 11 (Pennsylvania Avenue) from the Hagerstown area to Hagerstown Regional Airport
- Md. 60 (Leitersburg Pike) from Longmeadow Shopping Center to Marsh Pike
- Md. 632 (Downsville Pike) from Garden Lane to Halfway Boulevard
- Md. 64 (Jefferson Boulevard) from Hagerstown to Robinwood Drive
- U.S. 40 from Dual Highway to I-70
Bicycle mode
Bike lanes or routes along:
- Md. 62 (Little Antietam Road) from Twin Springs Drive to Old Forge Road
- Md. 63 (Greencastle Pike) from Huyett's Crossroads to the Mason Dixon Line
- U.S. 11 (Virginia Avenue) from Hagerstown to Williamsport
Highway mode
- Professional Court extended to Yale Drive, with a bridge over Antietam Creek
- I-70 and Md. 65 interchange reconstruction/improvement
- Md. 58 (Cearfoss Pike) at Broadfording road-traffic signalization by developer
- I-81 corridor studies and improvements
- I-70 corridor studies and improvements
- U.S. 11 (Virginia Avenue) corridor study
- U.S. 11 (Pennsylvania Avenue) corridor study
- U.S. 40 (Dual Highway) updated corridor study and widening, including intersection improvements
- U.S. 40 Alternate intersection with future Southern Boulevard
- Md. 60 (Leitersburg Pike) at future Eastern Boulevard, intersection construction participation
- Md. 804B Chewsville streetscape project
- U.S. 40 at Md. 63, add left-turn lanes to Md. 63
- Md. 340 at Keep Tryst Road, grade separation structure
- Md. 65 Hagerstown limits to I-70, pavement treatment
Mass transit mode
- Capital- and operating-funding assistance to implement Preferred Service Plan as outlined in most recent Transit Development Plan
- Phase I: Structure fixed-route service to reduce duplication and increase the efficiency of the transit system
- Phase II: Increase headways of the four busiest routes during peak times. Also implement a rural regional route that will operate from Boonsboro to Hagerstown
- Phase III: Have the majority of the routes operate at 30 minutes during peak periods and 60 minutes during the middle of the day. In addition, implement two additional rural regional routes which will operate from Sharpsburg and Hancock/Clear Spring to Hagerstown.
- Funding assistance to implement a marketing strategy to promote the transit services in Washington County
Aviation mode
- Fuel farm relocation and upgrade
- Proposed taxiway
- Land acquisition
- Terminal building modifications
- Runway 9, medium intensity approach lighting system for the runway alignment system
Park-n-ride facilities
- Park-n-ride, commuter study/evaluation and long-range plan for ride-sharing facilities
- Development of the Md. 68 and I-70 park-n-ride for truck usage
- Md. 66 north of I-70 park-n-ride capacity concerns
- Md. 144 park-n-ride capacity concerns due to facility closings in the Hancock area
