Governor Wes Moore:

On Thursday, March 9, 2023 Accelerate Maryland Partners (AM Partners) terminated the Phase Public-Private Partnership (P3) Agreement for Phase 1 of Op Lanes Maryland. The termination of the Phase P3 Agreement has no bearing on the approved federal Record of Decision for Phase 1 South or the state's commitment to addressing congestion issues affecting the region.
Because AM Partners executed its contractual right to not proceed, MDOT does not owe any payment to AM Partners. The state remains committed to continuing progress and will move forward in a manner that ensures social equity, environmental protection, and engagement with local partners while always acting in the best interest of taxpayers.

Lt. Governor Aruna Miller:

While Accelerate Maryland Partners has decided to terminate the Phase Public-Private Partnership (P3) Agreement for Phase 1 of Op Lanes Maryland, Governor Moore's and my priority will continue to be delivering a balanced and equitable solution to address traffic congestion along the I-270/I-495 corridor.

MDOT Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld:

On Thursday March 9, 2023, Accelerate Maryland Partners executed its contractual right to terminate its contract with the Maryland Department of Transportation for failure to agree on the terms of the Section P3 Agreement. MDOT is committed to delivering a new American Legion Bridge and transportation solutions that relieve traffic congestion throughout this corridor and promote equity and environmental protection. I look forward to connecting with the community and all stakeholders to understand their priorities firsthand to deliver solutions that advance the entire National Capital Region.

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With Phase 1 South of the New American Legion Bridge I-270 Traffic Relief Plan there will be plenty of options for you to travel through the National Capital Region. The choice is yours!

Choose to travel for free

Don't want to pay a toll? Here's what you can do instead.

1. Carpool or vanpool. If you have 3 or more people in your vehicle, you'll be able to ride in the HOT lanes for FREE, for even faster, more reliable travel.

2. Use the existing general-purpose lanes that are there today. These lanes will remain free for everyone and will get you where you need to go with less delay once the new HOT lanes are added.

3. Walk or bike. With a new shared use path across the American Legion Bridge and improved bicycle and pedestrian connections, you'll be able to walk or bike to places that never had these safe connections before!

Choose to take transit

If you use transit, the addition of HOT lanes will even provide the opportunity for a more reliable bus trip with free-flowing traffic. Plus, buses won't pay a toll, so all it will cost you is your transit fare to benefit from the HOT lanes. This new travel opportunity will pave the way for more efficient regional transit service using the new HOT lanes to connect key transit centers.

Choose to pay a toll

You'll also have the option to pay a toll for more reliable travel when you need it most. Many motorists choose to use HOT lanes for a business opportunity or personal life event that they would miss otherwise due to congestion.

For those who choose to use the HOT lanes, the cost will vary based on time of day and traffic levels.

This content was originally shared via Op Lanes Maryland’s e-mail distribution list on April 8, 2022.

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Not only will the American Legion Bridge I-270 Traffic Relief Plan reduce congestion by delivering a new, wider American Legion Bridge; but it will also deliver a new shared-use path connecting bicycle and pedestrian facilities on each side of the Potomac River, providing new opportunities for walking, hiking and biking between Maryland and Virginia that do not exist today.

New and upgraded sidewalks, bike paths and bike lanes will also be provided to connect communities and transit, remove barriers at interchanges, and address local priorities and plans. Some examples include new buffer-separated paths across MD 190 (River Road) and a wider path along Seven Locks Road in Cabin John.

Buses and vehicles with three or more people will be able to travel the new High-Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes for free, reducing dependence on single-occupant vehicles and providing opportunities for faster, more-reliable bus transit service, carpooling, and vanpooling throughout the region. The New American Legion Bridge I-270 Traffic Relief Plan will also improve regional transit facilities such as expanded bus capacity at Shady Grove Metro and expanded park-and-ride facilities.

Additional Vision Zero/pedestrian and bicycle safety and transit improvements will be developed during the predevelopment work, and MDOT will continue to work collaboratively with stakeholders and local community members to make sure the New American Legion Bridge I-270 Traffic Relief Plan benefits all users.

This content was originally shared via Op Lanes Maryland’s e-mail distribution list on February 25, 2022.

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• reduction in local roadway network delays;
• replacement of 60-year-old aging infrastructure;
• new and expanded opportunities for transit and ridesharing;
• new and expanded bicycle and pedestrian connections; and
• better connections to existing transit services on local roads.

Why HOT Lanes?

HOT lanes offer single-occupancy vehicle motorists the option to travel in the existing free lanes as they do now, or pay a toll to travel in lanes that are dynamically priced to give them more reliable, faster trips when they need them most. Dynamic pricing continually adjusts tolls to respond to real-time traffic to maintain a free-flowing level of traffic in managed lanes. In November, the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) announced the approved toll rate ranges for Phase 1 South after an extensive public comment process. Because high-occupancy vehicles (HOV 3+) travel in HOT lanes for free, motorists would also have new opportunities and incentives for carpooling, vanpooling and rapid bus transit service. Existing general purpose lanes throughout the corridor would be retained and remain free for use by all motorists.

The section of interstate from the American Legion Bridge to Frederick is one of the nation's most heavily congested corridors. The Phase 1: New American Legion Bridge I-270 to I-70 Traffic Relief Plan, the first major project under Op Lanes Maryland, is part of a historic effort to reduce congestion for millions of travelers in the National Capital Region by working collaboratively with the community, local, state and federal agencies and the private sector to design, build, finance, operate and maintain improvements along the corridor. These improvements will transform the way we travel through the corridor by providing more opportunities for transit, ridesharing, bike and pedestrian access while maintaining the existing general-purpose lanes as free lanes.

Under the Preferred Alternative, the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) recommended providing two High Occupancy Toll (HOT) managed lanes along the corridor in each direction. As we review comments received on the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) and continue with predevelopment work for Phase 1 South of the New American Legion Bridge I-270 to I-70 Traffic Relief Plan, we thought it was important to convey our reasoning behind this recommendation.

This content was originally shared via Op Lanes Maryland’s e-mail distribution list on February 11, 2022.

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The I-495 & I-270 Public-Private Partnership (P3) Program was renamed Op Lanes Maryland and achieved many of its most important milestones.

Starting with the environmental review process, the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) kicked off 2021 by identifying Alternative 9, or two high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes, as the Recommended Preferred Alternative (RPA) under the I-495 & I-270 Managed Lanes Study (MLS). However, after months of collaboration with agencies, public officials, and stakeholders on the RPA, MDOT SHA and FHWA announced the Study's Preferred Alternative would focus solely on Phase 1 South: American Legion Bridge I-270 to I-370 with no action at this time on I-495 east of the I-270 east spur to MD 5.

In October, MDOT SHA and FHWA published a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) to share new information and seek public input on the Preferred Alternative's updated traffic, engineering and environmental impacts, which were significantly reduced. During a 60-day public comment period and virtual public hearing, the SDEIS garnered more than 2,000 comments.

In a concurrent solicitation process, MDOT and the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) awarded a Phase P3 Agreement to Accelerate Maryland Partners LLC (AM Partners) to be the developer responsible for predevelopment work on the Phase 1: New American Legion Bridge I-270 to I-70 Traffic Relief Plan.

Throughout the year as COVID-19 restrictions eased and regional traffic rebounded to near pre-pandemic levels, Op Lanes Maryland continued to ramp up public outreach and engagement. MDOT SHA held dozens of meetings with stakeholders, homeowner/community associations and attended many pop-up events throughout Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George's counties. The program also launched new, dedicated social media channels.

This content was originally shared via Op Lanes Maryland’s e-mail distribution list on January 28, 2022.

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The New American Legion Bridge I-270 Traffic Relief Plan falls under the Op Lanes Maryland umbrella, replacing the 60-year-old American Legion Bridge and breaking one of the nation's worst bottlenecks.

Watch the Video

Through Op Lanes Maryland, we will continue working on exciting new transformative transportation options and opportunities to provide a balanced transportation network that meets the multimodal travel needs of our residents and businesses as the National Capital Region continues to grow in the decades ahead.

The Phase 1: New American Legion Bridge I-270 to I-70 Traffic Relief Plan is the first major project under Op Lanes Maryland. Upon Maryland Board of Public Works approval in August 2021, we executed a Phase P3 Agreement and have begun robust predevelopment work with Accelerate Maryland Partners, LLC (AM Partners) to collaborate with stakeholders on further reducing and avoiding potential impacts to advance Phase 1 South: American Legion Bridge I-270 to I-370 as the first section of the project.

This predevelopment work also will support completion of our ongoing Managed Lanes Study under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). If selected at the conclusion of the study, the Phase 1 South preferred alternative will deliver a new wider American Legion Bridge and two dynamically priced high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes in each direction from the vicinity of the George Washington Memorial Parkway across the bridge to I-270, and north on I-270 to I-370 with no action on I-495 east of the I-270 east spur at this time.

Buses and high occupancy vehicles (HOV3+) will be able to use the new HOT lanes free of charge while drivers with less than three occupants in their vehicles may choose to pay a dynamically priced toll for a more reliable trip when they need it. Meanwhile, the existing general-purpose lanes will remain free as they are today for all motorists.

This content was originally shared via the Op Lanes Maryland e-mail distribution list on September 21, 2021.

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