Maryland Route 115 ( MD 115 ) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland . Known as Muncaster Mill Road , the highway runs 5.83 miles (9.38 km) from MD 124 near Redland east to MD 655 at Norbeck . MD 115 is a northwest–southeast highway that connects the suburban communities of Redland and Norbeck in central Montgomery County . The highway was constructed from MD 124 to MD 28 in the late 1920s and early 1930s.
126-600: Maryland Route 200 ( MD 200 ), also known as the Intercounty Connector or ICC , is an 18.8-mile (30.3 km) controlled-access toll road in the U.S. state of Maryland . It connects Gaithersburg in Montgomery County and Laurel in Prince George's County , both of which are suburbs of Washington, D.C. The ICC was one of the most controversial Maryland road projects; opposition to
252-663: A dual highway ) in 1932 between Cologne and Bonn . It then rapidly constructed the first nationwide system of such roads. The first North American freeways (known as parkways) opened in the New York City area in the 1920s. Britain, heavily influenced by the railways, did not build its first motorway , the Preston By-pass ( M6 ), until 1958. Most technologically advanced nations feature an extensive network of freeways or motorways to provide high-capacity urban travel, or high-speed rural travel, or both. Many have
378-466: A median separates the opposite directions of traffic. This strip may be as simple as a grassy area, or may include a crash barrier such as a " Jersey barrier " or an "Ontario Tall Wall" to prevent head-on collisions . On some freeways, the two carriageways are built on different alignments; this may be done to make use of available corridors in a mountainous area or to provide narrower corridors through dense urban areas . Control of access relates to
504-535: A trumpet interchange with MD 200A (Metro Access Road), which heads south to provide access to Shady Grove Road and the Shady Grove station serving Washington Metro 's Red Line , near Gaithersburg in Montgomery County ; west of this interchange the freeway continues as I-370 toward MD 355 and I-270 . Several new ramps and collector-distributor roads were built between this interchange and MD 355. MD 200 continues northeast from there as
630-570: A $ 1.1 million planning and engineering study of the first 8-mile [13 km] segment of the road", which was to "run from the Baltimore-Washington Parkway near Beltsville westward to a point near Interstate Rte 70S at Gaithersburg ." By 1976, Maryland's Secretary of Transportation no longer supported state financial support of the Outer Beltway, although Montgomery County still supported it in concept. In 1980,
756-685: A 2002 campaign promise, Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich pushed to begin construction of the road and conducted a formal groundbreaking in October 2006. With additional support from his successor, Governor Martin O'Malley , construction began on November 13, 2007. The first segment, from Interstate 370 (I-370) to MD 28 , opened on February 23, 2011, while the extension to I-95 opened on November 22, 2011. The final segment to U.S. Route 1 (US 1) opened on November 7, 2014. MD 200 uses all-electronic tolling , with tolls payable through E-ZPass or Video Tolling . MD 200 begins at
882-628: A 6–3 majority of members in favor of the project. Prior to the 2002 election, a majority had been skeptical, if not outright opposed, to the project. The Montgomery County Council and County Executive Douglas M. Duncan issued a resolution endorsing the Intercounty Connector in December 2002. On April 21, 2004, the Transportation Planning Board voted to include the Intercounty Connector in future networks of
1008-484: A caveat that "If they are found feasible and ultimately judged desirable to implement, the priority of implementation could be established at that time. When the Montgomery County Council was briefed on the report, discussions quickly shifted to the Intercounty Connector and the controversy associated with it. The Intercounty Connector's Final Environmental Impact Statement makes specific reference to
1134-561: A class of highways with somewhat less isolation from other traffic. In countries following the Vienna convention , the motorway qualification implies that walking and parking are forbidden. A fully controlled-access highway provides an unhindered flow of traffic, with no traffic signals , intersections or property access . They are free of any at-grade crossings with other roads, railways, or pedestrian paths, which are instead carried by overpasses and underpasses . Entrances and exits to
1260-707: A cloverleaf and trumpet interchange when it opened in 1937, and until the Second World War , boasted the longest illuminated stretch of roadway built. A decade later, the first section of Highway 401 was opened, based on earlier designs. It has since gone on to become the busiest highway in the world. The word freeway was first used in February 1930 by Edward M. Bassett . Bassett argued that roads should be classified into three basic types: highways, parkways , and freeways. In Bassett's zoning and property law -based system, abutting property owners have
1386-580: A day for a round-trip (about $ 1,500 per year). On May 30, 2006, the Federal Highway Administration gave approval to the Corridor 1 plan, meaning that Maryland had satisfied "all environmental, economic and community requirements and that it can build the highway". The Baltimore Business Journal wrote, "Federal approval for the $ 2.4 billion connector came after Ehrlich made a direct request to President George W. Bush , who named
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#17327808588881512-541: A divided opinion on a freeway, with most supporting it. The Transportation Solutions Group had initially voted to oppose the Intercounty Connector on its master planned route, but voted 10 in favor and 4 opposed in February 1999 to endorse a highway alternative with the condition that single-occupant vehicles be charged a toll. At its final meeting in June 1999, the Transportation Solutions Group held
1638-620: A freeway, specialized pedestrian footbridges or tunnels may also be provided. These structures enable pedestrians and cyclists to cross the freeway at that point without a detour to the nearest road crossing. Access to freeways is typically provided only at grade-separated interchanges , though lower-standard right-in/right-out (left-in/left-out in countries that drive on the left) access can be used for direct connections to side roads. In many cases, sophisticated interchanges allow for smooth, uninterrupted transitions between intersecting freeways and busy arterial roads . However, sometimes it
1764-434: A larger number of guide signs than other roads, and the signs themselves are physically larger. Guide signs are often mounted on overpasses or overhead gantries so that drivers can see where each lane goes. Exit numbers are commonly derived from the exit's distance in miles or kilometers from the start of the freeway. In some areas, there are public rest areas or service areas on freeways, as well as emergency phones on
1890-499: A legal status which limits the types of vehicles that can use a highway, as well as a road design that limits the points at which they can access it. Major arterial roads will often have partial access control , meaning that side roads will intersect the main road at grade, instead of using interchanges, but driveways may not connect directly to the main road, and drivers must use intersecting roads to access adjacent land. At arterial junctions with relatively quiet side roads, traffic
2016-535: A lower court on a case involving the proposal to reconstruct and widen the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in 1999) but Judge Gladys Kessler of the D.C. federal court ordered the matter transferred to federal court in Maryland on May 17, 2007 and the suits were consolidated. After hearings in October 2007, both lawsuits were dismissed in their entirety on November 8, 2007 by Judge Alexander Williams, Jr. of
2142-527: A milepost system but does not use milepost markers. In Europe and some other countries, motorways typically have similar characteristics such as: Two-lane freeways , often undivided, are sometimes built when traffic volumes are low or right-of-way is limited; they may be designed for easy conversion to one side of a four-lane freeway. (For example, most of the Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway in eastern Kentucky
2268-447: A motorway is understood as a public road with dual carriageways and at least two lanes each way. All entrances and exits are signposted and all interchanges are grade separated. Central barrier or median present throughout the road. No crossing is permitted, while stopping is permitted only in an emergency. Restricted access to motor vehicles, prohibited to pedestrians, animals, pedal cycles, mopeds, agricultural vehicles. The minimum speed
2394-777: A national-level or even international-level (e.g. European E route ) system of route numbering . There are several international standards that give some definitions of words such as motorways, but there is no formal definition of the English language words such as freeway , motorway , and expressway , or of the equivalent words in other languages such as autoroute , Autobahn , autostrada , autocesta, autoput , that are accepted worldwide—in most cases these words are defined by local statute or design standards or regional international treaties. Descriptions that are widely used include: One green or blue symbol (like [REDACTED] ) appears at motorway entry in countries that follow
2520-600: A number of patterns. The actual pattern is determined by a number of factors including local topology, traffic density, land cost, building costs, type of road, etc. In some jurisdictions feeder/distributor lanes are common, especially for cloverleaf interchanges ; in others, such as the United Kingdom, where the roundabout interchange is common, feeder/distributor lanes are seldom seen. Motorways in Europe typically differ between exits and junctions. An exit leads out of
2646-624: A park and where intersecting streets crossed over bridges. The Southern State Parkway opened in 1927, while the Long Island Motor Parkway was closed in 1937 and replaced by the Northern State Parkway (opened 1931) and the contiguous Grand Central Parkway (opened 1936). In Germany, construction of the Bonn-Cologne Autobahn began in 1929 and was opened in 1932 by Konrad Adenauer , then
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#17327808588882772-580: A partial interchange with Briggs Chaney Road (westbound exit and eastbound entrance), and then, just after crossing the border into Prince George's County , it passes over the Little Paint Branch just south of the Fairland Recreational Park. The route then passes under Old Gunpowder Road. The route then enters Calverton , where the expansive interchange with I-95 is located. The interchange, marked as Exit 31 on I-95,
2898-457: A private venture, was the world's first limited-access roadway. It included many modern features, including banked turns , guard rails and reinforced concrete tarmac . Traffic could turn left between the parkway and connectors, crossing oncoming traffic, so it was not a controlled-access highway (or "freeway" as later defined by the federal government's Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices ). Modern controlled-access highways originated in
3024-648: A public hearing in College Park and voted 12 to 4 in favor of a "parkway-like highway from I-270 to I-95, following the general path of the ICC." The Transportation Solutions Group also made a recommendation that a system of high-occupancy toll lanes (with variable pricing) be implemented on major freeways of the region, including the Intercounty Connector, I-95 , the Capital Beltway , I-270 and US 50 . On September 22, 1999, Glendening chose to reject
3150-609: A reduction in deaths in a range from 20% to 50% on those sections. Speed, in Europe, is considered to be one of the main contributory factors to collisions. Some countries, such as France and Switzerland, have achieved a death reduction by a better monitoring of speed. Tools used for monitoring speed might be an increase in traffic density; improved speed enforcement and stricter regulation leading to driver license withdrawal; safety cameras; penalty point; and higher fines. Some other countries use automatic time-over-distance cameras (also known as section controls ) to manage speed. Fatigue
3276-541: A separate roadway or altogether eliminates it. In some parts of the world, notably parts of the US , frontage roads form an integral part of the freeway system. These parallel surface roads provide a transition between high-speed "through" traffic and local traffic. Frequent slip-ramps provide access between the freeway and the frontage road, which in turn provides direct access to local roads and businesses. Except on some two-lane freeways (and very rarely on wider freeways),
3402-510: A similar system of express and local lanes for a maximum width of 21 lanes on a 2-mile (3.2 km) segment between Interstate 805 and California State Route 56 . In Mississauga , Ontario, Highway 401 uses collector-express lanes for a total of 18 lanes through its intersection with Highway 403 / Highway 410 and Highway 427 . These wide freeways may use separate collector and express lanes to separate through traffic from local traffic, or special high-occupancy vehicle lanes , either as
3528-487: A six-lane freeway through Redland Station, turning east to pass over Shady Grove Road, and then under Redland Road, paralleling Mill Creek. This is the location of the eastbound toll gantry. MD 200 shortly curves to the east on the approach to the six-lane overpass for Olde Mill Run, which was built wide enough for a fourth lane in the eastbound direction. The Olde Mill Run overpass is the only section of MD 200 with full 12-foot (3.7 m) shoulders on each side. After
3654-411: A special restriction on the innermost lane or a separate roadway, to encourage carpooling . These HOV lanes , or roadways open to all traffic, can be reversible lanes , providing more capacity in the direction of heavy traffic, and reversing direction before traffic switches. Sometimes a collector/distributor road , a shorter version of a local lane, shifts weaving between closely spaced interchanges to
3780-540: Is an L-shaped service road that parallels MD 28 and MD 97. The first segment of MD 115 was a 18-foot-wide (5.5 m) macadam road built from MD 124 to Redland Road in 1928. This segment was extended east to Rock Creek in 1929 and 1930. In addition, a separate portion of MD 115 was constructed as a macadam road from MD 28 at Norbeck west to Emory Lane near the North Branch of Rock Creek. The eastern and western segments were unified between 1931 and 1933. MD 28
3906-502: Is associated with the proposed new interchange of I-95 and Contee Road (not part of the ICC). SHA Former Administrator Neil J. Pedersen stated that the "service roads can be delayed until the I-95 interchange has been built at Contee Road." The first segment opened on February 23, 2011, ahead of its projected spring 2011 opening. No tolls were charged on the date of opening to March 6, 2011. On
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4032-557: Is considered as a risk factor more specific to monotonous roads such as motorways, although such data are not monitored/recorded in many countries. According to Vinci Autoroutes , one third of accidents in French motorways are due to sleepy driving. Maryland Route 115 MD 115 begins at an intersection with MD 124 (Woodfield Road) adjacent to the industrial area surrounding the Montgomery County Airpark near
4158-735: Is controlled mainly by two-way stop signs which do not impose significant interruptions on traffic using the main highway. Roundabouts are often used at busier intersections in Europe because they help minimize interruptions in flow, while traffic signals that create greater interference with traffic are still preferred in North America. There may be occasional interchanges with other major arterial roads. Examples include US 23 between SR 15 's eastern terminus and Delaware, Ohio , along with SR 15 between its eastern terminus and I-75 , US 30 , SR 29 / US 33 , and US 35 in western and central Ohio. This type of road
4284-501: Is mostly a cloverleaf hybrid, and features several collector-distributor roads built along I-95, stretching from Old Gunpowder Road south of the interchange to MD 198 north of it. The community of Konterra is planned for construction near this interchange. Beyond I-95, MD 200 narrows to four lanes. MD 200 curves sharply, first to the south then to the east, and meets a diamond-interchange providing access to Konterra Drive ( MD 206 ). MD 200 then turns gradually to
4410-655: Is necessary to exit onto a surface road to transfer from one freeway to another. One example in the United States (notorious for the resulting congestion) is the connection from Interstate 70 to the Pennsylvania Turnpike ( Interstate 70 and Interstate 76 ) through the town of Breezewood, Pennsylvania . Speed limits are generally higher on freeways and are occasionally nonexistent (as on much of Germany's Autobahn network). Because higher speeds reduce decision time, freeways are usually equipped with
4536-450: Is not lower than 50 km/h [31 mph] and the maximum speed is not higher than 130 km/h [81 mph] (except Germany where no speed limit is defined). Motorways are designed to carry heavy traffic at high speed with the lowest possible number of accidents. They are also designed to collect long-distance traffic from other roads, so that conflicts between long-distance traffic and local traffic are avoided. According to
4662-431: Is provided with separate carriageways for the two directions of traffic). Principal arterials may cross through urban areas, serving suburban movements. The traffic is characterized by high speeds and full or partial access control (interchanges or junctions controlled by traffic lights). Other roads leading to a principal arterial are connected to it through side collector roads. In this view, CARE's definition stands that
4788-407: Is sometimes called an expressway . Freeways are usually limited to motor vehicles of a minimum power or weight; signs may prohibit cyclists , pedestrians and equestrians and impose a minimum speed. It is possible for non-motorized traffic to use facilities within the same right-of-way, such as sidewalks constructed along freeway-standard bridges and multi-use paths next to freeways such as
4914-480: Is specially sign-posted as a motorway and is reserved for specific categories of road motor vehicles." Urban motorways are also included in this definition. However, the respective national definitions and the type of roads covered may present slight differences in different EU countries. The first version of modern controlled-access highways evolved during the first half of the 20th century. The Long Island Motor Parkway on Long Island , New York , opened in 1908 as
5040-545: Is the result of several changes, including infrastructure safety and road user behavior (speed or seat belt use), while other matters such as vehicle safety and mobility patterns have an impact that has not been quantified. Motorways are the safest roads by design. While accounting for more than one quarter of all kilometres driven, they contributed only 8% of the total number of European road deaths in 2006. Germany's Federal Highway Research Institute provided International Road Traffic and Accident Database (IRTAD) statistics for
5166-408: Is two lanes, but work has begun to make all of it four-lane.) These are often called Super two roads. Several such roads are infamous for a high rate of lethal crashes; an outcome because they were designed for short sight distances (sufficient for freeways without oncoming traffic, but insufficient for the years in service as two-lane road with oncoming traffic). An example of such a "Highway to Hell"
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5292-629: The Dartford Crossing (the furthest downstream public crossing of the River Thames ) or where it was not economic to build a motorway alongside the existing road such as the former Cumberland Gap . The A1 is a good example of piece-wise upgrading to motorway standard—as of January 2013, the 639-kilometre-long (397 mi) route had five stretches of motorway (designated as A1(M)), reducing to four stretches in March 2018 with completion of
5418-655: The Maryland Department of Transportation to "cancel the ICC." In September 2008, The Sun's columnist Dan Rodricks wrote an anti-ICC opinion piece asserting that the ICC was the "Intercounty Anachronism". Rodricks' column was first rebutted by a letter to the editor by Montgomery County Councilmember Nancy Floreen (D-At Large) and then in a longer op-ed by SHA Administrator Neil Pedersen. Also in September 2008, The Gazette published an op-ed by state delegate Heather R. Mizeur (D-District 20) suggesting that
5544-867: The Suncoast Trail along the Suncoast Parkway in Florida . In some US jurisdictions, especially where freeways replace existing roads, non-motorized access on freeways is permitted. Different states of the United States have different laws. Cycling on freeways in Arizona may be prohibited only where there is an alternative route judged equal or better for cycling. Wyoming , the second least densely populated state, allows cycling on all freeways. Oregon allows bicycles except on specific urban freeways in Portland and Medford . In countries such as
5670-486: The Transportation Research Board , met at a series of meetings over about 14 months in 1998 and 1999. Policy suggestions and recommendations made by the Transportation Solutions Group included that most of the group supports "providing high-speed bus transit, HOV and SOV access through a new east-west, value priced, limited-access parkway", with some opposition to the parkway and that the group had
5796-459: The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland in a 105-page memorandum opinion. The Baltimore Sun described the decision handed down by the court as a "victory for both Governor Martin O'Malley , who backs construction of the road, and a measure of vindication for former Governor Robert L. Ehrlich , who made it the top transportation priority of his administration." After the opinion
5922-534: The U.S. House of Representatives Maryland District 1 seat. Both bills failed in the 2009 session. House Bill 27 received an unfavorable report from the House of Delegates Appropriations Committee on March 28, 2009; and no action was taken on Senate Bill 753 prior to adjournment on April 13, 2009, though a hearing was scheduled on March 18, 2009, before the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee. The position of
6048-538: The United Kingdom new motorways require an Act of Parliament to ensure restricted right of way. Since upgrading an existing road (the "King's Highway") to a full motorway will result in extinguishing the right of access of certain groups such as pedestrians, cyclists and slow-moving traffic, many controlled access roads are not full motorways. In some cases motorways are linked by short stretches of road where alternative rights of way are not practicable such as
6174-424: The United Kingdom , do not distinguish between the two, but others make a distinction; for example, Germany uses the words Kreuz ("cross") or Dreieck ("triangle") for the former and Ausfahrt ("exit") for the latter. In all cases one road crosses the other via a bridge or a tunnel, as opposed to an at-grade crossing . The inter-connecting roads, or slip-roads , which link the two roads, can follow any one of
6300-685: The United States Department of the Interior objected to the proposed bridge over the Potomac River because they wanted to create state and federal parks along the river in order to protect sugar maple trees, vegetation, and bald eagles. Because of these concerns, the Maryland State Roads Commission moved the proposed Outer Beltway to a route north of Rockville and eliminated a new bridge crossing
6426-743: The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission's Rocky Gorge Reservoir on the Patuxent River (which is a source of drinking water for much of the WSSC service area), and because it was not consistent with several approved and adopted Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission master plans in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties. On August 31, 2005, the Board of Public Works gave its approval to
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#17327808588886552-490: The shoulder at regular intervals. In the United States, mileposts usually start at the southern or westernmost point on the freeway (either its terminus or the state line). California , Ohio and Nevada use postmile systems in which the markers indicate mileage through the state's individual counties. However, Nevada and Ohio also use the standard milepost system concurrently with their respective postmile systems. California numbers its exits off its freeways according to
6678-519: The unincorporated area of Redland. The west leg of the intersection is county-maintained Snouffer School Road, which heads toward Montgomery Village . MD 115 begins as a four-lane divided highway but rapidly reduces to a two-lane undivided road as it head southeast toward the center of Redland. The highway temporarily widens as it passes a large church. MD 115 expands to a four-lane divided highway just west of its intersection with Shady Grove Road and Airpark Road. The highway becomes undivided and reaches
6804-503: The 1950s for the proposed 122-mile (196 km) Washington Outer Beltway. The original Outer Beltway had been planned to pass south of the corporate limits of the City of Rockville . The original proposed routing was south and east of the current alignment. The new route was motivated in part by a desire to move the routing of the proposed bridge over the Potomac River upstream from the area of River Bend to Watkins Island. Virginia residents and
6930-658: The 1997 Intercounty Connector Draft Environmental Impact Statement process was put on hold by Governor Glendening, much controversy resulted between groups and persons in favor of the ICC and those opposed. The Intercounty Counnector became a political issue in 1998, an election year in Maryland. A blue-ribbon committee entitled the Transportation Solutions Group was formed in 1998 to tell the Governor's Smart Growth Sub-Cabinet about intermodal transportation that complied with state and regional goals. The Transportation Solutions Group, chaired by Thomas B. Deen, former executive director of
7056-631: The 1998 session, and back to 1979, when a bill introduced in the General Assembly by Delegate Robin Ficker proposed to eliminate funding for a study of the ICC and the never-built Rockville Facility highway project. In 1980, a bill proposed by Delegate Idamae Garrott to forbid the Maryland Department of Transportation from even studying the matter of new highways running east and west between Montgomery and Prince George's Counties
7182-501: The A1(M) through North Yorkshire . The most frequent way freeways are laid out is by building them from the ground up after obstructions such as forestry or buildings are cleared away. Sometimes they deplete farmland, but other methods have been developed for economic, social and even environmental reasons. Full freeways are sometimes made by converting at-grade expressways or by replacing at-grade intersections with overpasses; however, in
7308-459: The Contract B construction contract had been awarded on July 22, 2008, to a joint venture of Kiewit, Corman Construction, and G.A. & F.C. Wagman, at a total cost of about $ 559.7 million—reportedly 22% higher than previous estimates. The Post story went on to say that a protest of this contract award was filed on July 30, 2008, by a joint venture that was not selected, though the bid price from
7434-489: The Corridor 1 alternative, which allowed state funding of the project in accordance with Maryland's provisions (established by statute) for funding a "growth-related project" that is not entirely within Priority Funding Areas. In December 2005, controversy arose over the Intercounty Connector's proposed toll rate. At a proposed 17 cents per mile (11 ¢/km), an end-to-end driver would have to pay about $ 6
7560-593: The County Council of Prince George's County in opposition to the ICC has been repeatedly cited by opposition groups, and its 2003 resolution on the subject, CR-32-2003, was adopted on June 10, 2003, where it called for alternatives to the road. In 2007, the Prince George's County Council passed resolution CR-59-2007, which repeats much of what was stated in CR-32-2003, including the language endorsing
7686-680: The Fourth Circuit in Richmond , Virginia. In April 2008, persons and groups opposed to the ICC, including the Shady Grove Woods Homeowners Association, held an "Irish wake" to draw attention to the impact of the ICC. The Derwood event was attended by approximately 100 people, all of whom wore green t-shirts to show their support for the trees. The event's planners also named the event "O'Malley's March" after Governor Martin O'Malley's former rock band in
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#17327808588887812-502: The General Assembly to thwart such a move. In February 2000, an agreement between Montgomery County's politicians and members of the General Assembly reached an agreement "memorialized in two letters but not cast in stone" that the "... Council agreed not to take any action to kill the ICC during the next three years." In 2000, Montgomery County Planning Board established the Transportation Policy Report and then
7938-562: The ICC be canceled. The Mizeur op-ed was rebutted in a response (also published by The Gazette ) by Neil Pedersen in October 2008. Controlled-access highway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway , motorway , and expressway . Other similar terms include throughway or thruway and parkway . Some of these may be limited-access highways , although this term can also refer to
8064-564: The ICC in Prince George's County. In November 2006, environmental groups announced that they were preparing to file suit in order to delay or stop the project, and lawsuits aimed at halting construction were filed by environmental groups and affected residents, assisted in part by pro bono legal counsel from the Institute for Public Representation of the Georgetown University Law Center. One of those lawsuits
8190-702: The Intercounty Connector along Corridor 1. Corridor 1 (approximately 80% of which is the Master Plan Alignment) has been on the books for decades; Corridor 2, also known as the Northern Alignment, was designed to reduce Corridor 1's impact on the environment. While the EPA gave Corridor 2 a higher environmental rating, it was eventually rejected by the state due to the increased number of homes and businesses that would have to be removed for its construction, because of negative environmental impacts on
8316-526: The Intercounty Connector and the Rockville Facility in January 1980. The majority of participants supported the highway, although almost everyone said they would prefer building more east–west public transportation instead. In 1983, the federal National Capital Planning Commission formally requested that the eastern end of the Intercounty Connector be shortened by four miles (6.4 km) so that
8442-414: The Intercounty Connector as it was envisioned in 1983—at least in part because he felt that construction of the ICC by the year 2000 was "infeasible", and advocated construction of a "shorter and less-costly" east–west highway instead. Prior to Governor Parris N. Glendening declaring the Intercounty Connector "dead" before leaving office in January 2003, two environmental impact studies had been conducted,
8568-672: The Intercounty Connector as one of his priority projects. The president's direct attention prompted federal resource agencies to give the project a more timely environmental review." As approved, the Intercounty Connector would be 18 miles (29 km) long, running from I-370 in Gaithersburg to I-95 in Beltsville. It would be a controlled access toll-highway with eight interchanges, and two park-and-ride lots would be built as well. The project included $ 370 million for mitigation and environmental stewardship activities in order to address
8694-577: The Intercounty Connector) was described in a report published in February 2008. After rejecting the Intercounty Connector, Glendening and opponents of the Intercounty Connector then examined the possibility of selling its right-of-way, but proponents of the Intercounty Connector would have been able to stop such a sale at the Board of Public Works, which must approve transactions involving the sale of state-owned real estate. In 1999, staff to
8820-678: The Maryland General Fund (11%); $ 0.18 billion from the Maryland Transportation Trust Fund (7%); and $ 0.18 billion from Special Federal Funds (1%). MD 200 has gained opposition from several groups, including the Maryland General Assembly and the Prince George's County Council. Proponents of the highway have claimed that it will improve the flow of interregional traffic, relieving traffic congestion on local roads. Opponents of
8946-530: The Montgomery County Planning Board said that the Intercounty Connector could be removed from master plans, but that such an effort would take "six or seven years" to accomplish. In November 1999, the Montgomery County Council discussed removing the Intercounty Connector from master plans, and while five of the nine members were opposed to the Intercounty Connector, the District 4 member, Marilyn Praisner, declined to agree to removal of
9072-539: The North Branch Rock Creek and a second stream over a bridge. This is the location of the westbound toll gantry. The route enters the Norbeck area and passes under Emory Lane. Just east of there is where a hybrid cloverleaf interchange with MD 97 (Georgia Avenue) is located. A park and ride lot serving MTA Maryland commuter buses is located southwest of this interchange along MD 97. When
9198-708: The Northwest Branch Recreational Park. The route travels through the park for a stretch, bridging the Northwest Branch Anacostia River three times (the second bridge also carries MD 200 over Bonifant Road), exits the park, and then turns eastward, passing under Notley Road. MD 200 then turns slightly to the northeast near Colesville and meets MD 650 at a single-point urban interchange . MD 200 then continues eastward, passes through Upper Paint Branch Park and bridges several creeks, including
9324-795: The Potomac River. The Montgomery County Planning Board accepted the state's newly proposed route in 1970, but the Montgomery County Council rejected it, and Prince George's County and Virginia dropped it from their plans. In 1975, the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments endorsed a request from the State Highway Administration "for federal support of
9450-443: The Transportation Solutions Group recommendation, asserting that the project was "wrong", "inconsistent with Smart Growth doctrine", and an "environmental disaster". The Washington Post quoted Glendening quoted as saying, "It is a proposal that has fractured our communities. It has pitted neighbor against neighbor. And it has created political gridlock while traffic gridlock has only worsened." Even though Glendening chose to ignore
9576-418: The Transportation Solutions Group's primary recommendation, its work was not entirely in vain, as its efforts were to be cited prominently some years later in the Intercounty Connector's Final Environmental Impact Statement . The concept of a regionwide network of HOT lanes (to be called "variably priced highway lanes") was further developed by the Transportation Planning Board , and a regional network (including
9702-409: The US, any at-grade intersection that ends a freeway often remains an at-grade intersection. Often, when there is a two-lane undivided freeway or expressway, it is converted by constructing a parallel twin corridor, and leaving a median between the two travel directions. The median-side travel lane of the old two-way corridor becomes a passing lane. Other techniques involve building a new carriageway on
9828-484: The United States, allow for limited exceptions: some movable bridges , for instance the Interstate Bridge on Interstate 5 between Oregon and Washington , do require drivers to stop for ship traffic. The crossing of freeways by other routes is typically achieved with grade separation either in the form of underpasses or overpasses . In addition to sidewalks (pavements) attached to roads that cross
9954-712: The Vienna Convention. Exits are marked with another symbol: [REDACTED] . The definitions of "motorway" from the OECD and PIARC are almost identical. In the European Union , for statistical and safety purposes, some distinction might be made between motorway and expressway . For instance a principal arterial might be considered as: Roads serving long distance and mainly interurban movements. Includes motorways (urban or rural) and expressways (road which does not serve properties bordering on it and which
10080-477: The Washington region's transportation system for purposes of forecasting changes in air quality. On November 17, 2004, the Transportation Planning Board endorsed regional transportation plans which included the Intercounty Connector, determining that the proposed plans met air quality goals and that funding for the project was adequate. On July 11, 2005, Governor Ehrlich announced the state's preference to build
10206-793: The bridge. The Queen Elizabeth II Bridge / Dartford tunnel at London Orbital is an example of this. London Orbital or the M25 is a motorway surrounding London , but at the last River Thames crossing before its mouth, motorway rules do not apply. (At this crossing the London Orbital is labeled A282 instead.) A few of the more common types of junction are shown below: There are many differences between countries in their geography, economy, traffic growth, highway system size, degree of urbanization and motorization, etc.; all of which need to be taken into consideration when comparisons are made. According to some EU papers, safety progress on motorways
10332-438: The center of Redland at its intersection with Redland Road and Muncaster Road. MD 115 drops to two lanes with a center left-turn lane , which disappears just west of another large church. East of Redland Middle School, the highway crosses Rock Creek and passes Colonel Zadok A. Magruder High School . Southeast of the high school, MD 115 crosses over MD 200 (Intercounty Connector) and the parallel ICC Trail . The highway and
10458-492: The common European definition, a motorway is defined as "a road, specially designed and built for motor traffic, which does not serve properties bordering on it, and which: (a) is provided, except at special points or temporarily, with separate carriageways for the two directions of traffic, separated from each other, either by a dividing strip not intended for traffic, or exceptionally by other means; (b) does not cross at level with any road, railway or tramway track, or footpath; (c)
10584-694: The contracts," according to the Fiscal Note prepared by the state's Department of Legislative Services. Both bills failed. In the 2009 session, a bill proposing to cancel funding for the ICC was pre-filed by Delegate Barbara A. Frush—House Bill 27. This bill had not attracted any co-sponsors nor had it been scheduled for a hearing. A similar bill, Senate Bill 753, was filed in the Maryland Senate by Sen. E. J. Pipkin and others. The Maryland Politics Watch blog opined that Pipkin's co-sponsorship of SB 753 may be related to his possible desire to run again for
10710-404: The controversy that has surrounded it over the years, including the cost of about $ 2.38 billion to complete the highway and related environmental mitigation. Proponents of the highway claimed that it would improve the flow of interregional traffic, relieve traffic congestion on local roads, spur economic development, and enhance access to Baltimore-Washington International Airport . Opponents of
10836-517: The early 1920s in response to the rapidly increasing use of the automobile , the demand for faster movement between cities and as a consequence of improvements in paving processes, techniques and materials. These original high-speed roads were referred to as " dual highways " and have been modernized and are still in use today. Italy was the first country in the world to build controlled-access highways reserved for fast traffic and for motor vehicles only. The Autostrada dei Laghi ("Lakes Motorway"),
10962-489: The eastern terminus of the road would be at I-95 rather than the Baltimore–Washington Parkway . In 1984, Maryland Secretary of Transportation Lowell K. Bridwell designated land in Montgomery and Prince George's counties as the future site of the Intercounty Connector so that the right-of-way would be preserved, even though Montgomery County Executive Charles W. Gilchrist had voiced very critical comments about
11088-530: The first being a draft document in 1983. In 1977, the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center expressed concerns about the impact that the ICC would have on its experiments. An initial environmental study was undertaken in the late 1970s, and extended into the 1980s, with a draft published in 1983. A second study was initiated around 1992, and a draft environmental impact statement was issued in 1997. The final environmental impact statement
11214-485: The first built in the world, connecting Milan to Lake Como and Lake Maggiore , and now parts of the A8 and A9 motorways, was devised by Piero Puricelli and was inaugurated in 1924. This motorway, called autostrada , contained only one lane in each direction and no interchanges. The Bronx River Parkway was the first road in North America to utilize a median strip to separate the opposing lanes, to be constructed through
11340-412: The first half of the 20th century. Italy was the first country in the world to build controlled-access highways reserved for fast traffic and for motor vehicles only. Italy opened its first autostrada in 1924, A8 , connecting Milan to Varese . Germany began to build its first controlled-access autobahn without speed limits (30 kilometres [19 mi] on what is now A555 , then referred to as
11466-511: The freeway are connected by a pair of emergency ramps but no public access; the southern ramp connects MD 115 with the hiker-biker trail that parallels the freeway. MD 115 crosses the North Branch of Rock Creek on its way to Norbeck, where the highway intersects MD 28 (Norbeck Road) just west of MD 28's intersection with MD 97 (Georgia Avenue). MD 115 continues a very short distance beyond the MD 28 intersection to its terminus at MD 655 (Old MD 28), which
11592-504: The highway are provided at interchanges by slip roads (ramps), which allow for speed changes between the highway and arterials and collector roads . On the controlled-access highway, opposing directions of travel are generally separated by a median strip or central reservation containing a traffic barrier or grass. Elimination of conflicts with other directions of traffic dramatically improves safety, while increasing traffic capacity and speed. Controlled-access highways evolved during
11718-510: The highway claimed that the road would instead harm significant traffic flow characteristics, harm the environment, and disrupt established communities through which it passes. They also argued that " environmental degradation would immediately occur from the construction (loss of forests, wetlands, and animal habitats), [and instill] long-term consequences (air pollution and carbon emissions from additional driving, more sprawl development, less money to fund mass transit projects, etc.)." Fulfilling
11844-563: The highway have claimed that the road will (with a few limited exceptions) harm significant traffic flow characteristics (such as increasing drive times, congestion, and costs in the form of tolls), will harm the environment (with air, sea and land impacts), and will disrupt established communities through which it passes. Members of the Maryland General Assembly stated opposition in the Spring 2008 and Spring 2009 sessions,
11970-592: The highway stalled the project for decades, and construction did not begin until 60 years after the highway's initial approval. The highway was originally proposed in 1950, was 32 miles (51 km) in length, and part of the Washington Outer Beltway . While other parts of the Outer Beltway were canceled, the ICC and the Fairfax County Parkway remained on master plans . The road's long history as an unbuilt proposed road stems from
12096-471: The highway, which included Phil Andrews, a Montgomery County Council member. The participants claimed that ICC construction should be halted because of air pollution impacts on pupils at the school; however, it was clear that Governor O'Malley had no plans to do so. In August 2008, The Baltimore Sun published a letter to the editor from the executive director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth calling on
12222-715: The hopes that this would encourage him to cancel the project. An op-ed in The Diamondback was printed which raised objections to the ICC. In June 2004, protests against the ICC were held at Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary School in Silver Spring, where the State Highway Administration was simultaneously holding a public ICC workshop. This event was more heavily attended than the Derwood event and featured multiple speeches by people opposing
12348-464: The impact of communities, wetlands, streams, wildlife, forests, air quality, historic resources, and parklands. The SHA constructed the ICC using separate design-build contracts for five phases. The first of the five contracts was awarded on March 27, 2007. The contract, worth $ 478.7 million, was awarded to Intercounty Constructors, a joint venture of Granite Construction Company, Corman Construction Inc. and G.A. & F.C. Wagman, Inc. Construction on
12474-466: The master-planned route, for fear that the so-called Northern Alignment (Corridor 2 in the 2005 Draft Environmental Impact Statement) would become a de facto Intercounty Connector in the future. The effort by Montgomery County politicians to remove the Intercounty Connector from its plans irritated powerful members of the Maryland General Assembly (notably Senate President Thomas V. "Mike" Miller ), who discussed legislative measures that could be taken in
12600-469: The mayor of Cologne . The German Autobahn became the first nationwide highway system. In Canada , the first precursor with semi-controlled access was The Middle Road between Hamilton and Toronto , which featured a median divider between opposing traffic flow, as well as the nation's first cloverleaf interchange . This highway developed into the Queen Elizabeth Way , which featured
12726-439: The more-inclusive Transportation Policy Report II Task Force "... in an effort to establish a framework for future Master Plans and to help set priorities for future infrastructure." The Transportation Policy Report II Task Force had 33 members, including persons in favor of the Intercounty Connector and those opposed. The Transportation Policy Report II Task Force listed the Intercounty Connector in its recommended network, following
12852-400: The motorway system, whilst a junction is a crossing between motorways or a split/merge of two motorways. The motorway rules end at exits, but not at junctions. However, on some bridges, motorways, without changing appearance, temporarily end between the two exits closest to the bridge (or tunnel), and continue as dual carriageways . This is in order to give slower vehicles a possibility to use
12978-421: The namesake Paint Branch , and passes between several neighborhoods upon exiting the park. The route then passes under Old Columbia Pike with no access to this local road. Just beyond, MD 200 reaches a large interchange with US 29 , combining cloverleaf and stack elements. This interchange also adds connections to Fairland Road with both MD 200 and US 29. The route continues eastward, featuring
13104-411: The new highway. The second segment of the highway, from MD 97 to I-95 opened on November 22, 2011. The highway was opened between I-95 and US 1 on November 7, 2014. The $ 2.56-billion project was funded from several sources, including $ 1.23 billion of Maryland Transportation Authority revenue bonds (50%), $ 0.75 billion of Grant Anticipation Revenue Vehicle bonds (31%), $ 0.26 billion from
13230-449: The offering of House Bill 37 to prevent construction of the road. Both of these bills also failed to pass. In the 2008 session, two bills proposing to cancel or delay the project were introduced—House Bill 1416 and House Bill 1471. House Bill 1471 proposed to eliminate funding for the road, and, if it had passed, would trigger "liquidated damage clauses that would require it to pay the contractors an estimated $ 80.0 million upon cancellation of
13356-405: The opening morning, over 10,000 vehicles used the highway, and it went on to draw in 30,000 vehicles per day. During the first week of May, the tollway drew 11,490 vehicles per day, which is much less than the 21,000 projected (though by 2014, this section of highway was averaging almost 40,000 vehicles per day on average). As a result, the state launched a $ 1.4 million advertising campaign to promote
13482-439: The other. Other methods involve constructing a service drive that shortens the long driveways (typically by less than 100 metres (330 ft)). An interchange or a junction is a highway layout that permits traffic from one controlled-access highway to access another and vice versa, whereas an access point is a highway layout where traffic from a distributor or local road can join a controlled-access highway. Some countries, such as
13608-504: The overpass, MD 200 turns southeast, passing over Rock Creek and the Upper Rock Creek Trail and under Needwood Road, before turning sharply back to the east as it passes under MD 115 (Muncaster Mill Road). The route, now running slightly to the southeast, begins the approach to MD 97 (Georgia Avenue). MD 200 then turns more eastward, running towards North Branch Stream Valley Park and passing over
13734-477: The rate is higher than the risk on urban roads. Speeds are higher on rural roads and autobahns than urban roads, increasing the severity potential of a crash. According to ETSC, German motorways without a speed limit, but with a 130 km/h (81 mph) speed recommendation, are 25% more deadly than motorways with a speed limit. Germany also introduced some 130 km/h (81 mph) speed limits on various motorway sections that were not limited. This generated
13860-618: The rejected group was lower. This protest may have delayed the start of construction on Contract B. On October 15, 2008, the Post reported that the protest was denied by state procurement officer Robert P. Gay and that the losing proposer would file an appeal with the Maryland State Board of Contract Appeals. On September 12, 2008, the Post reported that Contract D ran into funding issues which had delayed its construction. Contract D
13986-643: The rights of light , air and access to highways, but not parkways and freeways; the latter two are distinguished in that the purpose of a parkway is recreation, while the purpose of a freeway is movement. Thus, as originally conceived, a freeway is simply a strip of public land devoted to movement to which abutting property owners do not have rights of light, air or access. Freeways, by definition, have no at-grade intersections with other roads, railroads or multi-use trails . Therefore, no traffic signals are needed and through traffic on freeways does not normally need to stop at traffic signals. Some countries, such as
14112-444: The road opened in February 2011, it temporarily came to an end at a traffic light located just east of MD 97 at MD 28 (Norbeck Road). The route then curves southeastward, passing under MD 28 and Longmead Crossing Drive, running parallel to Wintergate Drive/Park Vista Drive. MD 200 then curves slightly more eastward toward Aspen Hill , where the freeway intersects MD 182 (Layhill Road), shortly after entering
14238-525: The seven-mile (11 km) section between I-370 and MD 97 began in November 2007. Contracts for three other phases are completed and the fifth phase involving collector-distributor lanes along I-95 has been completed. Requests for statements of qualification were issued for Phase A in December 2005, for Phase D in August 2006, and for Phase B in August 2007. The selection of the second of the five contracts
14364-432: The side of a divided highway that has a lot of private access on one side and sometimes has long driveways on the other side since an easement for widening comes into place, especially in rural areas. When a third carriageway is added, sometimes it can shift a directional carriageway by 20–60 metres (50–200 ft) (or maybe more depending on land availability) as a way to retain private access on one side that favors over
14490-539: The southeast and ends at a continuous flow intersection at US 1 (Baltimore Avenue) in Beltsville . MD 200 is a part of the main National Highway System for its entire length. The Intercounty Connector uses all-electronic tolling , with tolls payable through E-ZPass or Video Tolling , which uses automatic license plate recognition . ICC users without E-ZPass are mailed a bill to pay
14616-644: The state of Maryland dropped the Washington Outer Beltway from its plans except for the Intercounty Connector. Meanwhile, the State Highway Administration was studying constructing a 22-mile (35 km) Intercounty Connector with a 10-mile (16 km) spur called the Rockville Facility . After six days of public workshops, the Maryland State Highway Administration released its first report about
14742-506: The toll along with a 50% surcharge for non-E-ZPass use (minimum of $ 1). The tolls along the full length of the road (between I-370 and I-95) vary by time of day, ranging from $ 1.60 overnight to $ 3.20 in off-peak daytime, and $ 4 at rush hour (for E-ZPass users; for others toll rates will be approximately 50% higher). Tolls were waived along the road between February 23 and March 7, 2011, and again between November 22 and December 4, 2011. The Intercounty Connector can be traced to plans developed in
14868-656: The work done by the Transportation Policy Report II Task Force. The Maryland State Senate, in its 2002 session, passed Senate Joint Resolution 8 , which asked Glendening to restart the Intercounty Connector Environmental Impact Statement that had been put on hold in 1997. The Maryland House of Delegates passed an accompanying resolution, House Joint Resolution 10 with essentially similar provisions. The Intercounty Connector study
14994-406: The year 2010, comparing overall fatality rates with motorway rates (regardless of traffic intensity): The German autobahn network illustrates the safety trade-offs of controlled access highways. The injury crash rate is very low on autobahns, while 22 people died per 1,000 injury crashes—although autobahns have a lower rate than the 29 deaths per 1,000 injury accidents on conventional rural roads,
15120-443: Was European route E4 from Gävle to Axmartavlan , Sweden. The high rate of crashes with severe personal injuries on that (and similar) roads did not cease until a median crash barrier was installed, transforming the fatal crashes into non-fatal crashes. Otherwise, freeways typically have at least two lanes in each direction; some busy ones can have as many as 16 or more lanes in total. In San Diego, California , Interstate 5 has
15246-438: Was announced on November 20, 2007. The contract, worth $ 513.9 million, was awarded to IC3, a joint venture of Shirley Contracting Company, LLC; Clark Construction Group, LLC; Guy F. Atkinson Construction, LLC; Facchina Construction Company, Inc. and Trumbull Corporation. This work includes the ICC from a point west of US 29 to I-95, and interchanges with those routes. On September 4, 2008, The Washington Post reported that
15372-525: Was drafted by 1989 but did not receive federal approval, leading to the abandonment of the study until a new study began in 1992; the 1992–1997 study pointed to a similar conclusion, though it was never completed. By 1997, millions of dollars had been spent on planning and preliminary engineering, but the only segments of the road that had been built were I-370 between I-270 and the Shady Grove Metrorail station on WMATA's Red Line . After
15498-489: Was not to be restarted until Glendening left office at the end of 2002. In 2003, Governor Ehrlich followed through with his campaign promise to resurrect the Intercounty Connector study, and he was allowed a fast-track review process by the United States Secretary of Transportation , Norman Mineta . In addition to the election of Ehrlich, the Montgomery County Council that was seated at the end of 2002 had
15624-646: Was originally filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (possibly as part of a forum shopping effort to avoid having the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals hear the case on appeal – though the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit , which would have heard any appeals from the D.C. federal court, had ruled against the Sierra Club and allied groups on similar legal issues in reversing
15750-418: Was released, environmental groups opposed to the ICC stated that they would "consider their legal options before deciding whether to continue their battle" and some homeowners near the selected route expressed disagreement with the ruling of the court. On January 7, 2008, it was announced that Environmental Defense and the Sierra Club would appeal Judge Williams' decision to the United States Court of Appeals for
15876-555: Was tabled by the Montgomery County Delegation. In the 1998 session, House Bill 817 was introduced to prohibit MDOT from spending funds or granting approvals to the ICC project, and House Bill 905 was intended to stop the operation of a toll highway altogether. Both bills failed to pass. In 2004, House Bill 732 proposed a similar statement to House Bill 817, extended to include the MdTA. The 2007 Special Session saw
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