Maryland plan to build toll lanes on Beltway I
Pete K. Rahn
Maryland Transportation Secretary Pete K. Rahn  dangled a $9 billion carrot Wednesday in front of more than 100 companies potentially interested in adding express toll lanes to the Capital Beltway  Interstate 270 and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.
“It’s amazing ”  Rahn  quipped to more than 320 highway engineers  designers and builders in a ballroom at the BWI Airport Marriott in Linthicum. “You can get a lot of attention when you put a nine in front of a ‘B.’”
“I don’t want to just do something ”  Rahn  told the crowd. “I want to do something that delivers a ‘wow’” for traffic relief.
One big unknown: the cost of the tolls. After the meeting   Rahn  said  he  was aware variable rates on toll lanes that opened last week on part of Interstate 66 in Northern Virginia had soared to as high as $40.
“Obviously  that caught my attention ”  Rahn  said.
However   he  noted the I-66 toll has since peaked at about $14.  He  said Maryland will know the range of toll rates on its highways just before it chooses a winning proposal. Like Northern Virginia’s toll lanes  there will be no limit on how high tolls could go to keep traffic moving.
The state is not expecting to pay anything on the Beltway or I-270 projects   Rahn  said.
 Rahn  said the state will leave details of the design to bidders in hopes of receiving the most creative ideas. Maryland officials said proposals also will be judged on how the teams plan to build the lanes quickly  keep traffic moving during construction and limit impacts on adjacent homes and businesses.
[TGT]dangled a $9 billion carrot Wednesday in front of more than 100 companies potentially interested in adding express toll lanes to the Capital Beltway  Interstate 270 and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.
“It’s amazing ”  [TGT]quipped to more than 320 highway engineers  designers and builders in a ballroom at the BWI Airport Marriott in Linthicum. [TGT] can get a lot of attention when you put a nine in front of a ‘B.’”
“I don’t want to just do something ”  [TGT]told the crowd. “I want to do something that delivers a ‘wow’” for traffic relief.
One big unknown: the cost of the tolls. After the meeting   [TGT]said  [TGT]  was aware variable rates on toll lanes that opened last week on part of Interstate 66 in Northern Virginia had soared to as high as $40.
“Obviously  that caught my attention ”  [TGT]said.
However   [TGT]  noted the I-66 toll has since peaked at about $14.  [TGT]  said Maryland will know the range of toll rates on its highways just before it chooses a winning proposal. Like Northern Virginia’s toll lanes  there will be no limit on how high tolls could go to keep traffic moving.
The state is not expecting to pay anything on the Beltway or I-270 projects   [TGT]said.
 [TGT]said the state will leave details of the design to bidders in hopes of receiving the most creative ideas. Maryland officials said proposals also will be judged on how the teams plan to build the lanes quickly  keep traffic moving during construction and limit impacts on adjacent homes and businesses.