U.S. 29 at MD 198 Relocation and Interchange Improvements

Whitney, Bailey, Cox & Magnani, LLC (WBCM) was the lead Design Engineer for Concrete General (CGI), the Design/Builder who was the selected in 2002 by the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) to design and construct another phase on the US 29 corridor with the Maryland State Highway Administration’s action of improving intersections, interchanges and new alignments for the Montgomery County portion of US 29.

This project was the largest Design/Build project that Maryland State Highway Administration has delivered to date.  The Design/Build bid on the project was $28,292,439.  The project included; the relocation of US 29 for 7000 feet from north of Dustin Road to south of Blackburn Road, reconstruction of portions of MD 198 including modifications to the intersection of existing US 29 and MD 198, a new diamond interchange at Relocated US 29 and MD 198, a partial diamond interchange at Relocated US 29 and Dustin Road, a roundabout at Dustin Road and existing US 29 and a major expansion of the Burtonsville Park-n-Ride Lot including ramps to and from Relocated US 29 to the expanded Park-n-Ride lot.

The project also included three MSE retaining walls, several MSE slopes, water and sewer line relocations, two new traffic signals at the new ramp intersections with MD 198, modification to the traffic signal at MD 198 and existing US 29, signing for the Relocated US 29 as well as modification to the signing on existing US 29, continuous lighting of the entire project, pavement markings, and extensive landscaping.  

The project required 675,000 cubic yards of excavation, 640,000 cubic yards of embankment, 13,000 linear feet of drainage pipe, extensive erosion and sediment controls, and five (5) large stormwater management ponds.

This recently completed section of US 29 was officially opened to traffic on December 8, 2005 at a ribbon cutting ceremony presided over by Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.

Inter-County Connector

Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties, MD

WBCM was selected by the Maryland State Highway Administration to assist in the Alternates Development Process for the current NEPA Documentation effort. The proposed Intercounty Connector (ICC) project is intended to link the existing and proposed development areas between the I-270 and I-95/US 1 corridors within central and eastern Montgomery County and northwestern Prince Georges’s County with a state-of-the-art, multi-modal, east-west highway that limits access and accommodates passenger and goods movement. The ICC is currently in the early stages of the planning process and is following the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), which requires that any significant project receiving federal funds undergo an evaluation of reasonable alternatives and an analysis of potential impacts.

WBCM (in a Joint Venture) was assigned the section of the ICC through the proposed I-95 interchange extending to its terminus at US 1 to the east. This section also includes two existing interchanges on I-95 with Maryland Route 198 and Maryland Route 212 and one proposed interchange at Contee Road.  As part of the NEPA effort WBCM is working to refine the concepts by modifying horizontal alignments, vertical alignments, and typical section to better address and quantify environmental impacts; avoidance, minimization and mitigation strategies; and costs. Interchange alternatives are also being developed and analyzed for capacity, operation and safety. We are investigating the drainage, erosion and sediment control and stormwater management to better understand these impacts and to develop methods to avoid, minimize and mitigate these impacts. We are also performing sufficient structure investigation, analysis and design to a level necessary to support the NEPA process.

I-695 @ I-83 Widening
Baltimore County, MD

In association with the rehabilitation of I-695, WBCM was responsible for interchange improvements and the widening of I-695, ramp adjustments, realignments of Joppa Road and improvements to the Jones Falls Expressway, including drainage improvements, stormwater management, signing and traffic control plans.

This project began with a comprehensive study of the entire Fort McHenry Tunnel facility. The study report divided the facility into four regions for repairs and a timeline for doing the work in each region was established. This study evolved into an assignment to develop contract documents for the repairs on I-95 north of the tunnel to the end of the facility at the I-895 split. This task includes overlays and repairs for 26 mainline and ramp bridges, overlays for the at-grade pavement, both mainline and ramp repairs to high mast lights and sign structures. The work involves wetland identification, permitting identification and description of temporary easement locations, stormwater management, erosion and sediment control, and extensive coordination among the four firms involved with the job.

Districts 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7 SHA Traffic Engineering Open End Contracts

Over the years WBCM has held traffic engineering contracts for various districts in the State of Maryland. Services provided under these contracts have included corridor, high accident and interchange studies. Traffic data collection efforts have included delay and speed studies, interview-type origin destination studies and turning movement, classification and machine count data. WBCM has also been responsible for over 58 high accident location studies and has prepared traffic projections for various design alternates.