$1.1B Project To Extend Express Toll Lanes To Harford County

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — Changes are coming to Interstate 95 north in Harford County. The Express Toll Lanes that currently run to the exit for White Marsh will be extended past MD 24.

Transportation officials say the project is expected to ease congestion for northbound drivers between White Marsh and Abingdon.

The plan is for two Express Toll Lanes to extend 10 miles from MD 43 north beyond the MD 24 exit.

That is a change from what state officials presented at public meetings over the winter, when one toll lane was to run 7.75 miles from north of MD 43 to MD 24 with a fifth auxiliary lane on I-95 north.

What was originally slated to be a $210 million project has been expanded to a $1.1 billion initiative, the Maryland Transportation Authority announced Friday.

The "major component" in the increase in cost is the doubling of the number of toll lanes and the length, according to John Sales, spokesman for the Maryland Transportation Authority. He said reconstruction of overpasses and bridges also added to the price tag.

Revenue from tolls around the state will help pay for the project, according to Sales.

"It's been very popular," Sales said of the Express Toll Lanes. "Ever since opening, the traffic volumes have outpaced the forecast. Even drivers in the general non-tolled lanes on 95 are benefiting from it as well because a lot of traffic is being taken off" the main highway onto the toll lanes, he added.

There will be no toll increases as a result of the $1.1 billion project but there will be some new debt to finance it, according to Sales.

Here are the main components of the I-95 Express Toll Lanes Extension project into Harford County:

Seven overpass/bridge improvements: Bradshaw Road, Raphel Road, Old Joppa Road and Clayton Road overpasses will be reconstructed. Bridges on I-95 north will be improved and widened over Winters Run, Big Gunpowder Falls and Little Gunpowder Falls.

Extension of Express Toll Lanes: The new 10-mile extension of the Express Toll Lanes into Harford County will be on I-95 north because "northbound traffic congestion is heavier" than southbound, according to Sales. The initial proposal called for lanes to go to MD 24, while the plans announced Friday call for the toll lanes to go past the exit for MD 24 before flowing back into the rest of the highway, like the setup north of White Marsh.

MD 24 interchange reconstruction: The plan for MD 24 is to create a two-lane flyover ramp toward Bel Air for those exiting I-95 north. A diagram was not yet available. Transportation officials say the new configuration will relieve congestion for those taking MD 24 as well as MD 924 after exiting I-95.

MD 152 interchange reconstruction: The park and ride area will be reconfigured. According to Sales, drivers will be able to exit onto MD 152 from the toll lanes.

Noise walls: Five noise walls will be constructed. Originally, four were to be constructed but based on community input, there will be five. The locations were not available.

Transportation officials say the construction project will help improve safety on the roads.

“Adding two express toll lanes in the northbound direction will provide better service for our customers, reduce congestion and crashes, improve safety and allow for better incident management and maintenance activities,” Maryland Transportation Authority Executive Director Kevin C. Reigrut said in a statement.

Data supporting a reduction in crashes and congestion due to the Express Toll Lanes was not available from the state as of Friday but will be forthcoming, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority.

"These important traffic relief initiatives will benefit Marylanders throughout the Baltimore region by giving drivers a safer and more efficient commute," Gov. Larry Hogan said in a statement Friday announcing the $1.1 billion project. “Our administration remains committed to transforming our state’s transportation infrastructure and extending the express lanes is another example of our ongoing progress."

The Express Toll Lanes extension project will begin in 2019 and is expected to open in phases starting in 2023. Work will begin with the Bradshaw Road overpass, Sales said.

Public meetings on the project will take place, he told Patch, but they have not been scheduled yet.

RELATED:

• Governor Announces $461M In Baltimore Traffic Updates
• Express Toll Lane Extension Topic Of Public Meeting In Harford

Map courtesy of the Maryland Transportation Authority.