Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Maryland's Big Highway Widening Project Released

The state of Maryland is moving forward with a highway widening plan that would spend $11 billion in a private-partnership to add toll lanes to two Capital Beltway highways.

2 minute read

July 15, 2020, 8:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Highway Widening

Maryland Department of Transportation / I-495/I-270 Managed Lanes Project

"The state of Maryland has released its long-awaited draft environmental impact assessment for the Hogan administration’s controversial Beltway expansion project," reports Margaret Barthel.

The environmental review for a plan that would widen parts of I-495 and I-270 in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties totals 18,000 pages. The project would add new highway capacity by adding express toll lanes or high-occupancy toll lanes, and the estimated $11 billion price tag would be covered in part by a public-private partnership.

According to Barthel, the study argues that the project would mitigate worsening traffic congestion and meet the demands of expected population growth. 

The report reduced the number of alternatives on the table from 15 to seven, but all the remaining project alternatives are likely to have significant impact, according to Barthel's explanation of the report. 

But all seven options would have significant environmental impact, the study determined. In all seven, more than 140 acres of public parks and historic sites could be affected, as could more than seventy acres of wetland. Close to 1,400 acres of forest canopy would be cleared, damaged, or disturbed.

Under all seven options, about 34 residential homes and four businesses would have to be relocated. More than 4,000 noise-sensitive land areas–like homes, schools, churches, and parks–could be impacted by the sound of the expanded highway.

More on the response of critics, who have voiced vocal opposition to the project before, is included in the source article.

Friday, July 10, 2020 in DCist

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight