(May 19, 2016) – The Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration (SHA) is removing approximately six acres of excess pavement in Carroll, Frederick and Howard counties and replacing it with turf grass. The $2.9 million project is part of SHA’s Chesapeake Bay Restoration Program.
The excess pavement includes a no longer used ramp and small sections of pavement that remained following road realignment or improvement projects. The 15 sites include three in Howard County, six in Carroll County and six in Frederick County all within SHA right-of-way.
Rain water just runs off pavement, carrying pollutants into streams and groundwater. Planting turf grass in its place filters water that would otherwise carry sediment that contains nitrogen and phosphorus into the Chesapeake Bay by way of tributaries. Nitrogen and phosphorus fuel algae growth in the bay and reduce dissolved oxygen in the water, which creates dead zones.
“Removing excess pavement and replacing it with grass is beneficial to the overall environment and particularly that of the Chesapeake Bay,” said SHA Administrator Gregory Johnson, P.E. “As part of the federal
Clean Water Act, SHA has an obligation to reduce nutrients from entering the bay watershed.”
SHA’s Bay Restoration Program also includes stream restorations, grass swale development and tree planting.
Click here for SHA’s restoration projects in Maryland.
SHA’s contractor, Concrete General of Gaithersburg, began work in early April on a site off of MD 851 near Crestmount Road in Jessup. The overall project will be complete spring 2017, weather permitting.
(SHA photo: SHA will remove this excess ramp from US 40 (W. Patrick Street) to northbound US 15/US 340 in Frederick County.)
The excess pavement is located at the following areas:
Carroll County
• MD 850E near Gray Horse Drive
• MD 850J (Old Liberty Road West) near Shady Brook Drive
• MD 850I near Arthur Shipley Road
• MD 852C (Manchester Road) near Manchester Road
• MD 853E near Angell Road
• MD 194 (York Street) near Kump Station Road
Frederick County
• MD 144FA (Old National Pike) near Bartonsville Road
• MD 144A near Linganore Road
• MD 180B near Himes Avenue
• MD 17 (Burkittsville) near Bennies Hill Road
• US 40 (West Patrick Street) ramp to northbound US 15/US 340
• US 40 (West Patrick Street) near Linden Avenue
Howard County
• MD 851D (Old River Mill Road) near Livestock Road
• MD 958P (Crestmount Road) near US 1 (Washington Boulevard)
• MD 985 (Old Frederick Road) near Chapel Avenue.
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