Politics & Government

Beltway To Be Widened from Route 40 to Frederick Road

Governor, Baltimore County executive, state transportation secretary announce the project Wednesday in Catonsville.

A construction project is in the works to widen Interstate 695 from US Route 40 to Frederick Road.

The $90 million project, which will start in spring 2015, is expected to create 1,720 new jobs, and be completed by 2016, according to a news release from the State Highway Administration.

On Wednesday, Gov. Martin O'Malley, Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz and state Transportation Secretary Jim Smith, who is former Baltimore County executive, were in Catonsville to announce the new project.

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The event was held along I-695 at the Frederick Road Interchange, which is the site of another project under way to replace the Frederick Road Bridge over the beltway, the release states. I was Smith's debut as the new state transportation secretary.

"It was a pleasure to join Governor O'Malley and new secretary of transportation Jim Smith this afternoon to announce a $90 million widening of the beltway from Route 40 to Frederick Road in Catonsville," Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz posted on his Facebook page.

Find out what's happening in Catonsvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Great news for county commuters," he added.

In a statement, the State Highway Administration gave an update on the Frederick Road Bridge project that began in 2011. It could be completed as early as this fall or in early 2014, the release states.

"Originally constructed in 1957, the Frederick Road Bridge has reached the end of its useful life and required replacement," it states. "The $16 million new bridge also is being built to accommodate the future widening of I-695 under the bridge."

The new, widening project is still being designed and will "add a fourth lane along this beltway section to join with the existing four-lane section beginning at Frederick Road," the release states.

It will help ease traffic on the beltway that carries 200,000 commuters each day, it states.

What do you think of this project? Will it help traffic? How has traffic been affected so far while Frederick Road Bridge is being replaced? Have detours been handled well? Tell us in the comments.


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