Maryland Receives $10M for Route 175 Widening Project

State officials are applauding a $10 million federal earmark to widen Route 175 at Fort George G. Meade as a means to break the traffic gridlock in the growing region.

The project along Route 175 between Disney and Reece Roads will turn the two-lane road to six lanes, according to The Capital Gazette. Widening will also include the addition of sidewalks, on-road bicycle facilities on the right lanes and a multi-use hiker-biker trail.

“Once more, Team Maryland is delivering on the state’s top priority to meet the growing needs of the tens of thousands of military jobs created by BRAC,” Gov. Martin O’Malley said in a statement Tuesday thanking the state’s Congressional delegation. “The MD 175 widening project will break a major bottleneck and unlock a critical link between schools, communities, local businesses and Fort Meade -- one of the state’s largest employers.”

“With this important investment, we are improving our transportation infrastructure, creating jobs and strengthening Maryland’s military readiness,” O’Malley says. “Thanks to the entire Congressional delegation, working together, Maryland is building one of the strongest transportation networks in the region. Team Maryland understands that investing in transportation is key to creating jobs and expanding opportunity for years to come.”

The $10 million will be added to $2 million in design money the state approved earlier this year for the project, the Capital Gazette reports.

“This public investment in Fort Meade and surrounding communities is about jobs, jobs, jobs,” said Sen. Barbara Mikulski in a statement. “This project is a linchpin for a thriving but congested region.”

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