Approval of the ROD marks the final milestone in a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process that spanned more than four years and included 16 public workshops and seven public hearings with extended public comment periods.

For more information about the ROD and Phase 1 South, please read the press release or visit OpLanesMD.com/ROD.

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FEIS Analysis Results

With regard to traffic analysis, Phase 1 South would improve operations and reduce congestion delays on most sections where improvements are proposed, and on the larger roadway system by:

• reducing system-wide delay for the entire study area by 13% during the AM peak period and by 38% during the PM peak period;
• improving travel speeds in existing general purpose lanes and in managed lanes;
• creating new opportunities for regional transit bus service;
• providing new/upgraded pedestrian and bicycle improvements, including a direct connection to the shared-use path from the bridge to the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal towpath.

On I-495, the Preferred Alternative would include two new High Occupancy Toll (HOT) managed lanes in each direction from south of the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Fairfax County, VA, to west of MD 187, (Old Georgetown Road) in Montgomery County, MD.

On I-270, the alternative would convert the existing high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane in each direction to a HOT managed lane and add one new HOT managed lane in each direction on I-270 from I-495 to north of I-370, and on the I-270 east and west spurs. No action or no improvements would be included at this time on I-495 east of the I-270 east spur to MD 5.

The FEIS reflects changes to the Preferred Alternative using input from more than 5,000 public comments on the DEIS and SDEIS. More than 200 meetings were held to gather input in addition to 16 public workshops and seven public hearings with established public comment periods.

For a detailed review of the Phase 1 South analysis and benefits, please see
our press release.

FEIS Document Availability

The FEIS and Section 4(f) documents are available at OpLanesMD.com/FEIS. Hard copies of the FEIS and Section 4(f), as well as electronic copies of FEIS technical reports, will be available at multiple library locations in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties, as well as one in Fairfax County, Virginia and one in Washington, D.C. For a list of these locations, please visit OpLanesMD.com/FEIS.

After an availability period for the FEIS, it is anticipated the FHWA will issue a Record of Decision (ROD), identifying this Study's Selected Alternative. Selection will be based on consideration of the range of reasonable alternatives, efforts to avoid and minimize impacts, and final mitigation measures designed to address potential environmental impacts. The ROD would conclude the NEPA process and document the commitments to be carried forth during final design and construction.

This content was originally shared via Op Lanes Maryland’s e-mail distribution list on June 17, 2022.

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MDOT SHA will accept comments through 11:59 PM on February 26, 2022.

View the Document

The post I-495 & I-270 Managed Lanes Study Request for Public Comment on Section 4(f) De Minimis Findings appeared first on Op Lanes Maryland.

The Managed Lanes Study will accept comments through 11:59 p.m. on November 30, 2021.

The post I-495 & I-270 Managed Lanes Study SDEIS Comment Period Extended appeared first on Op Lanes Maryland.

View the SDEIS

MDOT SHA and FHWA continue to consider the nearly 3,000 comments received as part of the DEIS and public hearings held last fall. Responding to public input, the SDEIS reflects successful efforts by the NEPA team to reduce community and environmental impacts, including complete avoidance of Morningstar Cemetery in the Cabin John area. On Plummers Island, a research site for the Washington Biologists Field Club, the team collaborated with regulatory agencies and interested stakeholders to reduce the impact by 90% to 0.2 acre, consisting of one pier piling for the American Legion Bridge replacement.

Comments on the SDEIS will be accepted between Friday, October 1, and 11:59 PM on Monday, November 15, 2021. MDOT SHA and FHWA are holding a virtual public hearing on Monday, November 1, 2021, with two sessions scheduled for 2:00-4:00 PM and 6:00-8:00 PM.

Provide Feedback on the SDEIS

Virtual Public Hearing Information

Building on the existing DEIS that was published on July 10, 2020, the SDEIS has been prepared to consider new traffic, engineering, financial, and environmental information relative to the Preferred Alternative, Alternative 9 - Phase 1 South: American Legion Bridge I-270 to I-370. The scope of the SDEIS focuses on new information while referencing the DEIS for information that remains valid. Following the 45-day comment period on the SDEIS, MDOT SHA and FHWA will consider comments received and will respond to substantive comments on the DEIS and SDEIS in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS).

This content was originally shared via the Op Lanes Maryland e-mail distribution list on October 1, 2021.

The post MDOT SHA, Federal Highway Administration Publish I-495 & I-270 Managed Lanes Study Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) appeared first on Op Lanes Maryland.

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.

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Watch Now      Hearing Transcripts

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