(March 22, 2013) – The steel beams installed this week over
MD 32 north of Clarksville are a harbinger of good things to come for traffic on the two-lane stretch of highway between MD 108 and I-70 in Howard County.
The construction is part of a $15 million project led by the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) and funded by Howard County to convert the Linden Church Road intersection to a grade-separated interchange for improved safety and traffic flow. On average, more than 30,000 vehicles travel this section of MD 32 each day.
“Regional development and growth have increased vehicle travel along this road and reduced the effectiveness of signals to keep traffic safely flowing,” SHA District Engineer Dave Coyne said. “The interchange separates the crossing and prevents crashes, keeps traffic moving, and is a necessary step in the long-term plan to upgrade MD 32. We appreciate Howard County’s support to keep the project moving forward.”
“We really appreciate being able to coordinate with our partners at the State Highway Administration to make travel easier in our county,” said Jim Irvin, Director of Public Works for Howard County. “The County invested in this project because an improved flow on main commuter routes like MD 32 will help eliminate bottlenecks and make it safer for motorists.”
The MD 32/Linden Church Road interchange project began in July 2012 and is expected to be complete late fall 2013, weather permitting. It will eliminate the traffic signals at West Linden Church Road and Greenberry Lane, replacing them with a full-diamond interchange with ramps and a new bridge over MD 32 that will connect East and West Linden Church roads. Sections of nearby Greenberry Lane, Broadwater Lane and Ten Oaks Road will be realigned. Three miles to the north, SHA completed a similar project in 2009 at MD 32 and Burntwoods Road, greatly improving safety.
The new bridge over MD 32 began to take shape this week with the installation of structural steel over the highway. Crews installed the steel at night, stopping traffic temporarily for up to 15-minute intervals while beams were lifted into place and secured.
The new Linden Church Road interchange is one of several “breakout” projects SHA is undertaking in preparation for the proposed widening of MD 32 to a four-lane, access-controlled, divided highway between I-70 and MD 108. The next major breakout project, an interchange at MD 32 and Rosemary Lane, is in the early stages of design. Future phases will include interchanges at MD 144, I-70 and the entrance to the State and County Dayton maintenance facilities. The time frame for the future projects and eventual widening will depend on funding availability and state, federal and environmental permit approvals.
The contractors for the project are the Design-Build team of RK&K Engineers of Baltimore and Concrete General Inc. of Gaithersburg. The project is funded by Howard County with the exception of about $800,000 in SHA funding for utility relocations. More information about the project is available on the project website at
www.tinyurl.com/lindenchurch.
While SHA and its partners work hard to maintain safe traffic mobility in work zones, each driver needs to actively modify his or her driving style to help prevent crashes. Stay alert – look for reduced speed limits, narrow driving lanes and highway workers. Slow down and don't follow too closely. Safer Driving. Safer Work Zones. For everyone!
Maryland now features FREE 511 traveler information! Call 511 or 1-855-GOMD511 or visit
www.md511.org for current travel information. Sign up to personalize travel route information through MY511 on the website. Remember to use 511 safely – Maryland law prohibits hand-held mobile phone use and texting while driving.
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