Steve Burns
WMAL.com
ANNAPOLIS (WMAL) — Congestion on I-270 isn’t a new problem. Drivers have been complaining about it since at least the 80s, when the road was last widened.
“It’s probably the most perplexing, and probably the most difficult, corridor that we have, certainly in the Maryland region,” said Wes Guckert, President of the Traffic Group, a traffic engineering firm.
He said they could try adding more lanes or HOT Lanes, as they have in Virginia, but there isn’t enough space.
“Look at Google Maps. You can see how close the road is to commercial buildings and parking lots.”
In the Governor’s plans, they float the idea of letting drivers use the shoulder for travel, or using the shoulder for Bus Rapid Transit.
“The challenge becomes, how often will there be breakdowns?” Guckert asked. “If you look carefully at shoulder use during peak hours, yes there are cars that are going to break down now and again, but overall, that does not happen very often. You’re still going to have a significant increase in capacity along I-270.”
He said there’s no silver bullet to end congestion for good, but this has the potential to have a positive impact compared to what’s happening now.
“With everyone trying to get south to the Capital Beltway, as that continues to occur and continues to grow, the capacity just no longer exists.”
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