​Public Invited to Learn More About the Project and Provide Feedback 

(June 18, 2026) – The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (SHA), in collaboration with Anne Arundel County, will host a public open house from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 30, at Bay Area Community Church, 884 Chesterfield Road, Annapolis, on the upcoming I-97 Safety and Mobility Project in Anne Arundel County, designed to help reduce congestion on I-97 between US 50 (John Hanson Highway) and MD 32 (Patuxent Freeway) and increase safety throughout the corridor. 

Interstate 97 north of the project is six lanes but narrows to four lanes in the project area, creating one of the state’s worst daily bottlenecks and diverting motorists to use adjacent roadways such as MD 2 (Governor Ritchie Highway) and MD 3 (Crain Highway). Congestion along the corridor increases during peak summer travel periods. 

The project will address the bottleneck by adding a lane in each direction on I-97 from US 50 to MD 32 and will upgrade the I-97 northbound bridge over MD 450 (Defense Highway) and the north and southbound bridges over Crownsville Road. The project, which will provide stream restoration and stormwater management improvements, is part of a regional approach to improve safety, advance multimodal transportation solutions and reduce congestion for all users throughout the corridor.

I-97 improvement project and public meeting

Anne Arundel County has been a collaborative and strong partner in advancing this critical infrastructure project. The county has identified safety and mobility improvements along the I-97 corridor for many years and partnered with SHA to contribute $1.2 million for project development and $9.4 million toward construction of the project. 

Reducing congestion along the corridor will increase safety and encourage commuters to stay on I-97, reducing potential collisions between pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists on other roadways. Easing congestion also promotes travel time reliability for motorists and transit users. The I-97 corridor supports several Maryland Transit Administration and Anne Arundel County Transit bus routes between Annapolis and Baltimore.

The I-97 Safety and Mobility Project will be accomplished as part of a design-build process, meaning design and construction of the project will occur under a single contract. The process is intended to optimize efficiency, collaboration and innovation while focusing on project goals.

Residents, businesses and commuters will have the opportunity to learn more about the project at the June 30 open house. Attendees may arrive any time during the open house to view maps and displays, speak with SHA representatives and provide feedback. There will be no formal presentation. Project materials will be available on the I-97 Safety and Mobility Project Portal page afterward.

Those requiring assistance to participate in the open house, including interpreter needs for hearing/speech difficulties or assistance with the English language, may email [email protected] prior to the event. Please indicate the desired language in the subject line. Maryland Relay Service can assist teletype users at 7-1-1.

Questions about the open house or general inquiries may be directed to Sean Campion, Deputy Director of the Office of Program and Alternative Delivery, at [email protected] or Community Relations Manager Kellie Boulware at [email protected].

This project is consistent with the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Serious About Safety initiative, a department-wide commitment to advance improvements that drive safety goals and save lives.​