Part of $180.1 Million Transportation Investment in Calvert County

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Standing along MD 2/4 (Solomons Island Road), Governor Hogan today announced the project schedule for the newly funded $23.2 million widening of the road from four to six lanes, breaking the notorious bottleneck and increasing safety for emergency responders and the 45,250 drivers that use it every day. The MD 2/4 project will widen the road between Fox Run Boulevard and Commerce Lane in Calvert County. The construction project is part of his $1.97 billion investment in long-overdue highway and bridge improvements across the state. The Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration will advertise the project for construction this fall. Construction will start in spring 2017 with the newly widened road open to traffic in fall 2019.

“Building, maintaining, and fixing Maryland’s roads and bridges is our administration’s top transportation priority,” said Governor Hogan. “With today's investment to widen MD 2/4, we are addressing a key transportation priority of Southern Maryland, and one of the top priorities for Calvert County.”

Local fire engines as well as ambulances from as far away as St. Mary’s County often get stuck in traffic when the road is blocked by crashes or heavy congestion. The project will widen the four-lane divided highway into a six-lane divided highway in this rapidly growing area where traffic is projected to increase to 67,250 vehicles per day by 2035.

Solomons Island Road is Calvert County’s “Main Street,” providing direct connections to Calvert Memorial Hospital, Prince Frederick Town Center, area businesses and recreational facilities. Improvements to MD 2/4 will create a boulevard effect, along with community enhancements at the Commerce Lane intersection. Work along the .8 mile-long stretch will include constructing a raised median, a third travel lane in each direction, new (Americans with Disabilities Act) ADA-compliant sidewalks, and a continuous acceleration/deceleration lane.

This project is one of Calvert County’s top priorities as outlined in its March 2015 transportation priorities letter. The $23.2 million new construction funding for MD 2/4 is part of the Hogan Administration’s $180.1 million six-year transportation investment in Calvert County. This funding includes: $127.2 million for highways, $52.8 million for transit and $81,120 for grants for highway safety and other programs. The transit investments provide $1.2 million for Calvert County’s Locally Operated Transit System and $51.6 million to operate five commuter bus routes in Calvert County from FY 2016 to FY 2021.