Now that Maryland has delayed the toll lane expansion of Interstates 495 and 270, it needs to look at other ways to improve traffic flow [“Md. toll lanes contract delayed, a blow to Hogan’s traffic plan,” Metro, Nov. 18].
Here’s a short-term fix for I-270 and the Beltway in Maryland
A few years ago, the state added on-ramp metering on I-270 southbound and added lanes to I-270 northbound by narrowing the existing main lanes between Democracy Boulevard and the Falls Road exit. It added very little new pavement to do this. The change seems to have greatly improved the traffic by reducing the merging issues.
Perhaps the same could be done on I-495. The pavement already seems to be wide enough to create five lanes each direction from River Road to the American Legion Bridge (which is already five lanes) and six lanes each direction from River Road to the I-270 exit, reducing a number of existing merges. Metering the on-ramps at River Road and the Clara Barton Parkway to westbound I-495 is also needed. On I-270, the merge area of the northbound local lanes between Shady Grove Road and the Interstate 370 exit would also benefit from an extra lane. Surely this is within the current State Highway Administration budget and could be completed quickly.
Source: WP
