County Council Asks Governor Hogan to Reinstate Plans for Full Watkins Mill Road Interchange
The nine members of the Montgomery County Council have sent a letter to Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and Peter Rahn, the secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation, asking that the state proceed with the original design of the long-planned interchange at I-270 and Watkins Mill Road in Gaithersburg. It was recently learned that the State may be making changes to scale back the project.
“Last week we were dismayed to learn that the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) has delayed indefinitely the notice to proceed to construct the planned I-270/Watkins Mill Road interchange, and that MDOT is seriously considering proceeding without ramps from Watkins Mill Road to I-270, and perhaps without either on- or off-ramps,” said the elected leaders. “We insist that plans for anything less than the full interchange be dismissed and that MDOT proceed with the project as designed immediately.”
The letter goes on to say: “Nothing short of a full interchange is acceptable. With an interchange, traffic at the MD 124/MD 355 intersection—now operating at more than 25 percent over capacity—and at the regularly congested MD 117/MD 124 intersection would finally get some relief. All these are State highways upon which our residents and businesses depend.”
You can read the elected leaders’ letter, below:
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