A Southern Maryland road improvement project is making strides to accommodate increased traffic and improve safety for travelers.
According to the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA), MD 235 (or Three Notch Road), the stretch from MD 4 to MD 246, is one of the major arteries in Saint Mary’s County. Classified as an intermediate arterial, it serves as the primary route through the St. Mary’s County peninsula to such popular destinations as Point Lookout State Park, historic St. Mary’s City, and the U.S. Naval Air Station on the Patuxent River. Expansion of the Naval Station has in turn lead to a growth in employment and population for the area. SHA reported that the growth is “expected to generate a maximum of 25,000 additional daily vehicle trips between MD 4 and MD 246, resulting in increased travel times and a potential for more accidents.”
In 1994, SHA initiated a planning study to access the problems and recommend design solutions. The result is an upgrade from a four-lane highway to a six-lane highway by providing an additional through lane in each direction. Continuous turning lanes also were designed to give safer access to residences and businesses, with a final result of four lanes of pavement in each direction. An added feature is that the outside auxiliary lanes will have additional width to accommodate bicyclists.
Federal aid provides 80 percent of the funding for the project, with the additional 20 percent coming from the state.
For the construction work, the MD 235 corridor was divided into three individual design and construction projects:
Project No. 1: MD 235 from MD 4 to MD 237
Project No. 2: MD 235 from MD 237 to Pegg Road
Project No. 3: MD 235 from Pegg Road to MD 246.
To provide immediate relief for some of the congestion problems, SHA designed an interim project that involved reconstructing and restriping the existing shoulders from MD 4 to Pegg Road, providing an additional northbound and southbound through lane. This phase was completed in July 1998.
The primary contractor for each of the three separate projects is Raye Vest Corporation of White Plains, MD.
Project No. 1
Construction for the first phase of the project began in April 1999. According to Roger Broadwater, SHA’s project engineer, the original end date of Oct. 2, 2000 was not met because of cold weather. However, he reported that the project is nearly complete, with only minor finishing touches left.
Besides the weather, Broadwater noted that another obstacle to the project was missing and avoiding the many underground utility lines. As with many such projects, traffic maintenance proved to be a challenge as well.
According to Broadwater, this particular project affects about 2 mi. (3.2 km) of roadway, with 45,000 cu. yds. (34,200 cu m) of dirt being moved. Total dollar value for this phase is reported at just more than $11 million.
Thomas Johnston, superintendent for Raye Vest Corporation, reported that about 40 employees are involved. Equipment, which he reported is mostly Caterpillar owned by the company, includes extractors, bulldozers, rubber tire loaders, dump trucks, and a track loader. Terex end dumps also are used.
Subcontractors for Project 1 include: F.O. Day Co. Inc., Rockville, MD; Concrete Technology Service Inc., Glenndale, MD; Cable & Conduit Construction Inc., Waldorf, MD; A. Annandale Inc., Dumfries, VA; Rommel Engineering & Contracting Inc., Annapolis, MD; Dixie Construction Company Inc., Churchville, MD; Highway Safety & Services Inc., Gaithersburg, MD; and Bennett & Son General Contracting Inc., LaPlata, MD.
Project No. 2
Phase 2 began in November 1999, with a projected end date of June 2002. The total dollar value is set at $14.6 million. The job site involves 183,000 sq. yds. (146,400 sq m), with 682,000 cu. yds. (518,320 cu m) of dirt being moved.
Project engineer Paul Hartman reported that utility relocates presented the most headaches for this phase, since there were “so many in so many different locations.”
Around 20 to 25 Raye Vest employees are assigned to this project. Hartman reported that the major equipment is mostly Caterpillar or John Deere, with most being owned by the company. The list includes backhoes, dozers, loaders, rollers, excavators, dump trucks, back dumps, bucket trucks, ditch witches and asphalt pavers.
Subcontractors include: Alliance Construction Company, Waldorf, MD; Matthews & Pierce Masonry Company, Waldorf, MD; Bay Country Contractors, Leonardtown, MD; Cable & Conduit Construction, Waldorf, MD; Railing Systems Inc., Waldorf, MD; Francis O’Day Co., Rockville, MD; Denison Landscaping, Waldorf, MD; Rommel Engineering & Construction, Annapolis, MD; Monarch Construction & Masonry, Waldorf, MD; Best Fence Company, Chester, MD; Dixie Construction Inc., Churchville, MD; Annandale Inc., Dumfries, VA; Concrete Technology Services, Glenndale, MD; Sunrise Safety Services, Baltimore, MD; Guardrails Etc., Baltimore, MD; and Danville Trucking, Waldorf, MD.
Project No. 3
Construction is set to begin shortly on the final phase of the project.
SHA noted that the 235 project “takes into account all of the necessary measures to preserve and protect the environment of the community. New stormwater management facilities will provide quantity and quality control of roadway runoff. Reforestation will follow construction to compensate for the loss of trees during the project.” SHA also installed devices to protect streams and wetlands from sediment pollution during the duration of the construction period.
Brenda Ruggiero
Brenda Ruggiero has written for CEG for over 20 years. She lives near the town of Accident in far western Maryland. Her favorite assignments so far involved interviews with Survivor’s Boston Rob and hot dog eating champion Joey Chestnut. Both were involved in construction at one time.
Brenda holds a BA in Mass Communication with a writing focus from Frostburg State University and minors in Public Relations and Political Science. She works full time as a staff writer for a weekly newspaper, the Garrett County Republican. She enjoys feature writing the most, which gives her the opportunity to talk to people and share their stories.
Brenda and her middle school sweetheart, Reuben, have been married for over 34 years and have three grown children and four cats.
Read more from Brenda Ruggiero here.
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