(May 5, 2021) – The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) announces that the US 219 (Chestnut Ridge Road) highway realignment in Grantsville, Garrett County, is complete and will officially open to traffic Thursday, May 6. This three-year, $63 million project includes a new four-lane section of US 219 between I-68 (National Freeway) and Old Salisbury Road. The project is part of Governor Larry Hogan’s $1.97 billion investment in highways and bridges, and has been a top priority of Garrett County for decades.
“We are proud to deliver this long-awaited project to residents and businesses in Garrett County,” Governor Hogan said. “This new segment of US 219 will support continued economic development and tourism throughout Western Maryland and enhance safety and reliable travel throughout the region.”
Prior to the project, US 219 between I-68 and Old Salisbury Road was a two-lane highway serving residents and businesses in the community. As plans for development increased in the region, improvements in the US 219 corridor became a priority to spur economic development and provide safe and efficient connectivity.
The new 1.5-mile section of US 219 provides additional space for through-truck traffic along US 219 Business, allowing improved separation from local traffic. The new four-lane highway has two 12-foot lanes, an 8-foot inside shoulder and a 10-foot outside shoulder in each direction. The highway also includes two roundabouts, turn lanes connecting to US 219 Business and a new median.
“These improvements on US 219 are a testament to the partnership between MDOT SHA, the Federal Highway Administration, neighboring states, local officials and residents,” MDOT Secretary Greg Slater said. “Together, we’ve created a safer route that serves regional commerce, expands access and improves the quality of life for those who use this highway every day.
“During my MDOT career, I’ve seen this project advance from concept stages to planning and design, then to construction, and now to completion,” Secretary Slater added. “Over those years, the collaboration and support from partners such as Senator George Edwards, Delegate Wendell Beitzel and The Greater Cumberland Committee have been essential in bringing this project home to Garrett County.”
The US 219 project also represents a significant step toward development of the Appalachian Development Highway Systems, a 3,090-mile network of modern highway corridors designed to generate economic development in previously isolated areas, supplement the interstate system and provide access to markets in the region and across the nation.
“Expanding this corridor in Garrett County is vital to ensuring Maryland’s supply chain continues to run efficiently,” said MDOT SHA Administrator Tim Smith. “This is another example of how MDOT SHA continues to deliver projects that provide mobility within Maryland as well as connectivity to our neighboring states.”
Triton Construction Inc. of West Virginia was MDOT SHA’s contractor on the US 219 project. While the roadway will open to traffic Thursday, May 6, crews will perform some landscaping in the weeks to come. For more details, go to the project website HERE.
For a list of all major MDOT SHA projects, go to
Project Portal. Visit our homepage at
roads.maryland.gov. For a look at real-time traffic conditions, go to
md511.maryland.gov.
The US 219 improvement project is an example of the work MDOT SHA has undertaken during Maryland’s COVID-19 State of Emergency while maintaining focus on the health and safety of our team and the public. MDOT SHA works hard to maintain safe traffic mobility in work zones for our crews and our customers.
Drivers need to stay alert, focus on driving, and look for reduced speed limits and other driving pattern changes. Please slow down and stay alert in construction zones to help ensure our team gets home safely to their families.
Editor’s Note
From intersection improvements to widening and new interchange construction, MDOT SHA is investing in projects to enhance the commute and daily travel for millions of Marylanders. MDOT SHA maintains more than 2,500 bridges and 17,000 miles of non-toll state roads – the interstate, US and state numbered routes in Maryland’s 23 counties.