Photo courtesy MDOT SHA
Overview of the MD 4 at Suitland Parkway interchange project.
The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MD SHA) continues work on a $283 million project to improve safety and mobility at the interchange of MD 4 (Pennsylvania Avenue) and MD 337 (Suitland Parkway) in the Upper Marlboro area of Prince George's County.
The project is expected to be complete in the fall of 2028, weather permitting. It will provide enhanced traffic operations throughout the corridor with the construction of a new diverging diamond interchange.
Photo courtesy MDOT SHA
This improvement project will increase roadway capacity to meet existing demands, address safety concerns and provide room for future traffic growth.
Work began in March 2024, with $283 million allotted for construction and $20.5 million for engineering. The total also includes Infrastructure Investment Jobs Act (IIJA) funding.
The contract was awarded to Concrete General Inc. of Gaithersburg under Project Manager Bob Rosencrance.
"The project is necessary to improve safety and relieve existing congestion and accommodate increasing traffic volumes associated with local future growth," said Shantee Felix, media relations manager.
In addition to the new diverging diamond interchange, the project includes:
- Realigning the Pennsylvania Avenue Service Road and Armstrong Lane;
- Reconstructing on- and off-ramps to Joint Base Andrews;
- Constructing a new signalized intersection at Presidential Parkway and Central Park Drive, along with new sidewalks;
- Constructing a new two-lane ramp over MD 4 to provide a direct connection between northbound MD 4 and westbound Suitland Parkway;
- Adding a new shared-use path across the Suitland Parkway bridge;
- Constructing four new bridges;
- Realigning Presidential Parkway with Suitland Parkway; and
- Realigning and widening MD 4.
"The new interchange at MD 4 and Suitland Parkway is critical for residents and commuters, and will accommodate economic growth throughout the region," said Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld. "The project will improve mobility and accessibility, and advances our mission to deliver a comprehensive, world-class transportation system for all."
Proposed construction phases are:
Phase 1 (current): Drainage upgrades will be made to existing stormwater facilities. Presidential Parkway at the Service Road will be extended to Central Park Drive. Median adjustments will be made for a new intersection. Armstrong Lane and the Pennsylvania Avenue Service Road will be detoured to MD 4 and Central Park Drive. A new Service Road will be constructed west of the existing road to connect to Presidential Parkway.
Phase 2: A temporary alignment of MD 4 northbound and southbound will be constructed. Central Park Drive at MD 4 and Presidential Parkway will be closed. Traffic will be detoured along Presidential Parkway and the new Service Road from MD 4. Old Marlboro Pike at Suitland Parkway will be closed for future ramp construction.
Phase 2a: Suitland Parkway eastbound to MD 4 northbound will be detoured to allow for new ramp construction. MD 4 northbound shoulder closures will begin at Dower House Road to allow for temporary alignment of MD 4.
Phase 3: Primary structures work will begin. MD 4 northbound and southbound will be relocated east into a temporary alignment to facilitate the lowering of MD 4 and the completion of the new Suitland Parkway bridge.
Phase 4: A newly constructed Suitland Parkway bridge will open to westbound traffic. Eastbound, the bridge will be widened to accommodate ongoing ramp construction.
Phase 5: Structures work will continue as MD 4 southbound is transitioned to the new roadway under the Suitland Parkway bridge. MD 4 northbound will remain in temporary alignment.
Phase 6: MD 4 northbound and southbound will shift to permanent configuration. Final ramp work for the interchange will be completed with traffic signals. Shared use path across Suitland Parkway bridge will be complete for pedestrian access.
Felix said that one of the challenges involves the number of stakeholders and jurisdictions surrounding the project.
Photo courtesy MDOT SHA
In addition, she noted high ground water levels and compressible soils; maintaining traffic and access to facilities during construction; state-supplied materials for some previously started work that needed to be completed; and height restrictions with the adjacent Air Force Base.
"Additionally, there were time of year restrictions as the project began, so we had to clear trees for the work areas to be accessible within the first month and a half," Felix said. "That was a change of plans and partnering adjustment on day one."
She also spoke about what makes the project unique from others.
"This project has a history of delay concerns and it is very schedule-driven to be successful," Felix said. "The many stakeholders and political history have the project in the spotlight as well as it being in an urban area."
She added that work assignments vary based on scope and locations of work to be performed at a given time.
"There will be hundreds of hands that have been a part of this project from conception in the 1970s to where we are now," Felix said. "That also makes it challenging. Coordination efforts of staff become critical for success and project management when it comes to cost, schedule and quality optimizations."
For erosion and sediment installation, stormwater management installation, subsurface drainage work and rough grading earthwork in phase 1 of 6, field staff of the state and contractors numbered around 25 people plus an administration staff on both sides and teams of designers.
"We all have our eyes on subsurface drainage concerns, as we have known groundwater 5 feet below existing grade and have a 25-foot mainline cut to perform to lower the road," Felix said. "We have stringent dewatering practices to maintain throughout the process. We have concerns for settlement of upwards of 9 inches in locations warranting wick drains and permeable low density cellular concrete [PLDCC] to accelerate settlement timelines. There are two dam permits for the two sediment basins that get converted into ponds."
Felix added that the project has a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise goal of 24 percent, featuring players that have been a part of the work before and looking ahead as new teammates.
Major subcontractors include Interlock for the structural steel; DRM for shear studs; Priority for concrete flatwork; Site Services for E&S controls; Road Safety for temporary signage; Midlantic Markings for pavement markings; TSI for electrical and ITS; Aarons for excavation and hauling; Kelley's Trucking for hauling; Holcim for paving; Wolff for tree clearing; Collision for guardrail and permanent signage; WF Wilson for waterline work; Road Safe for guardrails; Keller for Wick Drains; Hunt Valley for concrete decorative staining and painting; and Concrete General for structures and drainage.
"Various cranes will be mobilized when we get to sheeting and structures work and are FAA height restricted with the adjacent Air Force Base," Felix said. "A lot of the work will be done with typical dozers, loaders, excavators, graders, rollers, pavers, etc., which are mostly owned."
Keller also will also use a wick drain stitcher.
The project includes five bridges with two cast-in-place retaining walls. There will be 4.6 mi. of RCP storm drain to install and another half mile of plastic pipe.
The project will include 119,665 linear ft. of steel piles; 7,182 linear ft. of steel girders; 1,364,062 linear ft. of wick drains; and 808,628 cu. yds. of excavated soils. CEG
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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