Announcements
Comment Period Has Ended
The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) concluded the extended public comment period for the I-495 & I-270 Managed Lanes Study Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and Draft Section 4(f) Evaluation, which was open for over 120 days from July 10, 2020 to November 9, 2020.
Related extended public comment periods for the Joint Permit Application (JPA), for the Alteration of Any Floodplain, Waterway, Tidal or Nontidal Wetland in Maryland by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) have also concluded.
Comments were accepted during the extended public comment period through multiple methods including oral testimony, online comment form, email, and letter. MDOT SHA and FHWA will review and consider all comments received, perform additional analyses, as needed, and respond to substantive comments in the Study’s Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). To account for the extended public comment period and to ensure we have time to take a hard look at all the comments and collaborate with stakeholders, MDOT SHA and FHWA are evaluating the timeline for release of the Final Environmental Impact Statement.
JPA Comment Period Updated
Comments on the JPA will be accepted by the USACE, Baltimore District through November 6, 2020, and by MDE through November 9, 2020.
Missed the DEIS Virtual and In-Person Public Hearings?
Click here to view the hearing transcripts and videos.
Comment Period Extended to November 9, 2020
Public and agency comments on the DEIS will be accepted between July 10 and November 9, 2020.
I-495 & I-270 Managed Lanes Study Joint Public Hearings
Click here to watch the I-495 & I-270 Managed Lanes Study Virtual Public Hearing Livestream during any of our hearing dates.
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), Joint Federal/State Application (JPA) Posted
Transit Service Coordination Report
See how Managed Lanes can help transit systems move people faster and more efficiently, even when traffic congestion keeps getting in the way.
Request for Qualifications Posted
Interested in the Request for Qualifications for preliminary development activities for Phase 1 of the I-495 & I-270 P3 Program?
Update on the I-495 & I-270 Public-Private Partnership (P3) Program and Managed Lanes Study
On January 8, 2020, the Maryland Board of Public Works (BPW) voted to amend the designation of the I-495 & I-270 P3 Program to advance as a public-private partnership and the proposed competitive solicitation process. The BPW set a condition that the solicitation process start with Phase 1 on I-495 beginning in the vicinity of the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Virginia to I-270 in Maryland and on I-270 from I-495 to I-70. I-495 from the vicinity of the George Washington Memorial Parkway to the I-270 west spur, and the I-270 west spur to I-370, will be delivered first. This approval by the BPW only allows the solicitation process to move forward for a Phase Developer to assist the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) with preliminary development and design activities, which is allowable under federal regulations. This approval by the BPW does not authorize other activities, such as final design and construction. An environmental decision document under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) will be approved before final design and construction will commence on any portion of Phase 1. This is in addition to any future BPW approvals necessary.
The BPW vote does not affect the ongoing federal NEPA process for the I-495 & I-270 Managed Lanes Study. The I-495 & I-270 Managed Lanes Study will continue to analyze potential environmental impacts associated with the Alternatives Retained for Detailed Study (ARDS) along the entire 48 miles of the study corridor. The results of the analysis will be available in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), anticipated to be published for public review and comment in Spring 2020. Following the publication of the DEIS, a series of public hearings will allow the public an additional opportunity to provide comments on the alternatives and the associated environmental impacts of the I-495 & I-270 Managed Lanes Study.
April and May Public Workshops
The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) will hold its third round of public workshops in April and May for the I-495 & I-270 Managed Lanes Study. Mark your calendar and learn more!