(I-495/I-95) Washington D.C. Beltway and (I-270) Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway – Widening Project to Install Toll Lanes

2020.02.05  Maryland’s Board of Public Works (Governor, Comptroller, and Treasurer) voted 2-1 on January 8^th to widen I-495 and I-270 from the American Legion Bridge to I-370. The vote allows the project to proceed to the bidding stage. Construction details and the extent of private property necessary for acquisition remain unresolved as yet. However, a Public-Private Partnership (P3) established to manage this project has published an interactive map for the I-495 & I-270 Managed Lanes Study. The map is for planning purposes and may be revised as project planning evolves. The enclosed exhibits indicate the potential impact to three of your properties based upon that planning map. A Draft Environmental Impact Study (DEIS) is scheduled to be released for public review and comment as part of the NEPA process later this Winter 2020 on the P3’s website. There will then be a series of public hearings this Fall 2020. Meanwhile, Bills have been introduced in the State legislature this session, which propose that the State be prevented from constructing toll roads or toll bridges without the consent of the majority of the affected counties.

2019.06.05 The Board of Public Works (Governor, Comptroller, and Treasurer) voted on June 5^th to move forward with the I-270 and I-495 Toll Lane Project and solicit bids from private contractors for this public-private partnership (P3). This project is one of Governor Hogan’s priorities and due to the nature of the P3 it will not require approval of the State legislature to proceed. Rather, prior legislation authorized the Board of Public Works to designate a public infrastructure asset as a P3 and approve the proposed solicitation and financing method. As reflected on the enclosed map, your property may be impacted by this project. The State will solicit bids from private contractors this summer and select the preferred bidder by early this Fall. The proposed contract and selected contractor will then be presented to the Board of Public Works later in the Fall for approval. This is an accelerated timeline and reflects the priority of this project to Governor Hogan. We will update you on the project periodically, but you may wish to follow the progress of the project on the website at https://495-270-p3.com/.