Plan Proceeds for A New Highway at Nation’s Capital

State and federal highway officials agree on a final plan to build a $2.4 billion highway through Washington's suburbs.

1 minute read

January 6, 2006, 11:00 AM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


Federal and Maryland state officials have reached an agreement on a revised environmental impact statement for the Inter-County Connector (ICC) in Washington, D.C. suburbs. State officials called the agreement a "milestone" in the drive to build the highway, which environmentalists and some communities in Washington, D.C. suburbs have been fighting for more than four decades. ICC will cut through several sensitive stream valleys and acres of wetlands, but state officials say they can mitigate the damage.

President Bush put the ICC on the fast track for federal approval. EPA's regional office in Philadelphia said the agency is sticking by its decision announced in February to not seek to veto the project and believes the ICC route being proposed now - with increased environmental protections and improved construction techniques - is substantially different from the ICC it rejected during the 1990s.

Thanks to Kui Zhao

Thursday, January 5, 2006 in The Baltimore Sun

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 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of new neifhborhood under construction with enpty lots in foreground.

In California Battle of Housing vs. Environment, Housing Just Won

A new state law significantly limits the power of CEQA, an environmental review law that served as a powerful tool for blocking new development.

July 2 - CALmatters

Low-rise Pearl Sreet mall in Boulfer, Colorado.

Boulder Eliminates Parking Minimums Citywide

Officials estimate the cost of building a single underground parking space at up to $100,000.

July 2 - Boulder Reporting Lab

Two-story buildings with porches in walkable Florida neighborhood.

Orange County, Florida Adopts Largest US “Sprawl Repair” Code

The ‘Orange Code’ seeks to rectify decades of sprawl-inducing, car-oriented development.

July 2 - CNU Public Square