Many Harford residents did not know what express toll lanes ? already under construction on Interstate 95 ?- are, but they showed up at a meeting Tuesday evening to find out.
The Maryland Transportation Authority held the first of two open houses to hear commuters? concerns about the number of projects in planning stages and to inform residents about other projects under way or about to begin.
Tuesday?s event was in Abingdon, in Harford County, just down the road from a Route 24 project.
Most attendees were concerned about how express toll lanes work and how their local commutes near Route 24 would be affected.
“I don?t think people in Harford County know how much pavement is coming,” said Roxanne Lynch, spokeswoman for County Executive David Craig, who was there to learn about the projects herself.
In Harford, more than 100 parking spaces are being added to the Route 152 carpool lot, ramps and bridges along Route 24 will be constructed, and a study of the 16-mile stretch of highway from White Marsh to Aberdeen is being conducted. Two express toll lanes each way could be built, or more regular lanes could be constructed ? or nothing could be done, said Brian Riffel of MdTA.
Express toll lanes are already under construction on I-95 north of Baltimore City to White Marsh. The lanes will be complete in 2011, when Harford?s highway projects would begin.
Two lanes each way in the middle will be separated by medians from other lanes. An E-ZPass is needed, and overhead monitors will check when cars go in and out of the lanes. Fees are undecided, but they will fluctuate depending on congestion throughout the day and would cost less than $10, project manager David Labella said.
“Many people are marveling or sort of overwhelmed by the [I-]695 intersection,” Labella said.
To allow people to safely get onto the general or express toll lanes, four layers of ramps and roads going 80 feet high are planned.
“It just looks like spaghetti,” Harford County Public Works Director Bob Cooper said.
IF YOU GO
» What: Maryland Transportation Authority open house to discuss upcoming road projects
» Where: Essex Community College
» When: today, 4 to 7 p.m.
