Project will Improve Quality of Water that Leads into the Chesapeake Bay

(October 5, 2015) – As part of its commitment to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration (SHA) will re-grade and stabilize grass swales in the median of I-97 between I-695 and  US 50 in Anne Arundel County. The project begins later this month and will modify existing swales in the median to treat storm water. Crews will reconstruct the median drainage to create swales with flat bottoms and side slopes to capture and treat highway water runoff.

Work on the $3.5 million project includes grading and stabilization of grass swales to reduce the velocity of water, particularly during heavy rainfall and snow melt. A grass drainage swale is an open channel that collects water from hard surfaces and allows it to percolate into the ground, reducing the amount of runoff leaving the road and going directly into streams. The grass covering the side slopes and swale bottoms filter storm water, improving quality and reducing pollutants.

SHA awarded the contract to Concrete General Inc., Inc. of Gaithersburg, MD. There will be no lane closures on I-97 during the project although motorists will see activity in the median. Crews will work during the day behind concrete barriers. The project should be complete spring 2017.

Click here for more information about SHA’s Bay Restoration projects.