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It might be the most anticipated construction project in a generation, and now there's news that the baby steps of preparatory work will begin this year.
Halleljuah to that.
The first phase of the long-awaited widening of U.S. 15 through the city of Frederick is expected to start by the end of the year, with utility relocation work.
It would be nearly impossible to overstate the impact of this news on our community, and all of us who drive on U.S. 15. Traffic congestion is almost constant on this main artery through the heart of the city.
The project has been a priority for the city and Frederick County for more than a decade. Utility relocation work is a prelude to adding a lane to the highway in each direction from Interstate 70 to Liberty Road (Md. 26).
According to the State Highway Administration website on the project, the highway carries an average of 98,450 vehicles a day.
The additional capacity this widening will bring should go a long way toward easing the crush of traffic that sees cars and trucks crawling along in each direction at all hours of the day.
A public open house is planned in the fall, although the State Highway Administration media office did not provide a more specific date in a follow-up message, saying only that the date is still being planned.
Construction on the main portion of the project is expected to begin in the fall of 2027, according to an SHA newsletter sent to residents and businesses near the project.
The project is expected to cost $177.9 million. To add a lane in both the northbound and southbound directions, the state will use the existing median. In addition, it will widen bridges, add auxiliary lanes between interchanges, and install noise walls in residential areas.
Despite the obvious need for the project, the path to this point has not been smooth. Money for the project was included in the state's fiscal 2022-27 long-range transportation plan, but it was removed in December 2023 as the state dealt with budget deficits.
Local officials and legislators scrambled to convince the state to reinstate the funding. It was ultimately added back into the long-range plan.
The road has seen frequent crashes, most notably a terrible fatal crash involving a fuel tanker in March 2023. The truck driver was killed and several nearby homes damaged in the resulting fire, increasing the urgency to fund the project.
Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater released a statement hailing the project, saying: "The US 15 project is essential for highway safety and economic growth, and I am thrilled it is moving forward. I want to thank Governor Moore, the Maryland Department of Transportation, and our partners in the Frederick County delegation for making this project a reality."
In his statement, Frederick Mayor Michael O'Connor said, "Frederick is a growing community, and our transportation infrastructure has to grow with us. Safe and reliable highway travel is essential to our economic future."
Within a few short years, we will all be able to drive U.S. 15 with greater safety and less traffic. It will still be the main north-south road through the city, but it will have more capacity and safety features, and that is a win for our city and county.
-- The Frederick News-Post