The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) announced Thursday they had selected Accelerate Maryland Partners, LLC, to be the developer for the American Legion Bridge I-270 to I-70 Relief Plan.
Accelerate Maryland will be responsible for overseeing predevelopment work on the plan. While their selection is subject to approval by the MDTA Board and the Maryland Board of Public Works, the announcement is the end of a year-long competitive process to find a partner in the private sector that will work with MDOT to provide congestion relief and an innovative approach to minimize impacts.
MDOT’s recommended plan for the American Legion Bridge includes two high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes across the bridge to I-270 and north on I-270 to I-370. MDOT and MDOT’s State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) are collaborating with federal, state, and county partner agencies to reach an agreement on the plan. This alternative would deliver a new American Legion Bridge as the primary link between Maryland and Virginia’s economic centers and would add a bicycle and pedestrian connection across the bridge.
The new bridge would allow buses and vehicles with three or more people in them to use the new HOT lanes for free, incentivizing faster, more-reliable bus transit service, carpooling, and vanpooling. Existing travel lanes throughout the corridor will remain free.
“This is another step forward in addressing one of the most significant traffic bottlenecks in the nation. I want to thank all of the teams that pursued this Phase 1 partnership with Maryland and the teams of experts that spent almost 200 total hours reviewing and deliberating over the amazing proposals,” said Transportation Secretary Greg Slater. “Though there is much more work to do with the local leaders, the community, and stakeholders, the selected proposal delivers congestion relief at the American Legion Bridge, strong innovative approaches for minimizing impacts, and a real multimodal approach. I am very much looking forward to this partnership and its benefit to Maryland travelers.”