May 10th, 2018 by WCBC Radio
– Following the Hogan administration’s Cabinet Meeting today in Howard County, Governor Larry Hogan announced the start of a US 40 resurfacing project in Ellicott City, Md. that marks the halfway point of resurfacing or treating all state highway lane miles since 2015. This milestone marks the improvement of nearly 8,500 lane miles, calculated by miles of highway multiplied by the number of lanes, improving safety and enhancing the customer experience for millions of drivers across the state.
The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) has invested $890 million in funding and the latest technology to extend the life of state roadways, reducing pothole-ridden and deteriorated lanes that are dangerous for drivers and contribute to costly wear and tear on vehicles.
“When I took the oath of office, I said that building, maintaining, and fixing Maryland’s roads and bridges would be our administration’s top transportation priority – and we have been doing exactly what we said we would do,” said Governor Hogan. “Our administration will continue to fight for transportation infrastructure projects that help Maryland citizens go about their daily lives in a more efficient and safe manner.”
The 2.75-mile safety and resurfacing project in Ellicott City will improve US 40 (Baltimore National Pike) between the Baltimore County line and US 29. This stretch of roadway was last resurfaced in 2000. The $2.3 million project will improve safety and road quality for 47,000 drivers each day. Work is scheduled for completion this summer.
Resurfacing this roadway provides a smoother and safer commute along this heavily traveled road. MDOT SHA tracks pavement conditions using national standards, most recently achieving 88 percent of roadways in acceptable or better ride quality condition. The aggressive resurfacing scheduled during the last three years has enabled MDOT SHA to improve nearly half of the state’s lane miles.
“MDOT SHA focuses on the use of data, technology and sound planning to ensure that we are dedicating funding efforts to preserve our highway network,” MDOT SHA Administrator Greg Slater said. “Technology allows our engineers to develop solution-based projects that focus on safety and system preservation, which bring great customer benefit.”
Using the latest technology loaded in a specially equipped van called “ARAN” (Automated Road Analyzer), engineers evaluate all highways across the state each year. The van includes lasers to identify rutting, cracks, roughness, grade, curves, vibration impacts, and drainage challenges. The data is used along with roadway repair history to identify roads for treatment and resurfacing. Crews may seal cracks, repair aging joints, apply an overlay, restructure ramps or bridges, and use different construction methods to increase traction, such as high friction surface treatments.
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