State Highway Administration officials responded to an outcry of more than 6,000 Howard residents to make a northbound Route 29 ramp to westbound Interstate 70 safer after a 19-year-old died there in July.
The improvements, installed Wednesday, are rumble strips and warning signs along southbound Route 29, north of the I-70 interchange, and the northbound Route 29 crossover accessing westbound I-70, said David Buck, SHA spokesman.
“The great thing about Howard County is that people get active and involved. It helped to create a sense of urgency,” said County Executive Ken Ulman, about the community’s persistence.
“The signs and rumble strips will create more awareness. You need to be warned, because you never expect someone to cross in front of you.”
Since the death of Andrew Noel, a recent Mount Hebron High School graduate described as popular and well-liked, residents have repeatedly said that taking the northbound Route 29 ramp to I-70 was dangerous because it required drivers to cross over the southbound lanes of Route 29 where traffic is flowing at highway speeds, tempting drivers to play a game of chicken to get across.
According to police, Noel was traveling southbound on Route 29 in a motorcycle when he was struck by a sport utility vehicle attempting to turn left from northbound Route 29 onto I-70.
The yield sign now has been replaced by a stop sign along northbound Route 29 at the crossover to access the ramp to westbound I-70.
Crossover warning signs and rumble strips in each lane along southbound Route 29 also will help alert motorists to turning traffic, Buck said.
“Improving highway safety is one of Gov. Martin O’Malley’s top priorities,” said Transportation Secretary John Porcari in a statement. “Working closely with Howard County Executive Ken Ulman and his traffic engineering staff, SHA has developed these initial safety improvements to address traffic issues at this heavily traveled Howard County interchange.”
Ulman also noted that police have increased their traffic enforcement initiatives in the area lately.
Valerie Noel, Andrew’s mother, was expected to present a petition with more than 6,000 signatures, demanding that area be made safer, at an annual state Department of Transportation meeting tonight in the George Howard Building, 3430 Courthouse Drive, Ellicott City.
The interchange, installed in 2002, has resulted in 10 accidents through 2007, according to SHA.
Noel’s was the first reported fatality.
The interchange was constructed to help alleviate rising traffic at a cloverleaf exit onto westbound I-70.
State highway officials will continue to work with county officials over the next several months to identify any other site enhancements.
A long-term engineering study is under way, which includes studying traffic volume. Results are expected later in the fall, according to the SHA.
To read more on a petition to further improve safety at this interchange, click here.
