Project Boosts Western Maryland Economy, Addresses County’s Top Transportation Priority; Completes Part of Appalachian Development Highway System
Governor Also Announces Dedication of Maryland Portion of US 219 to Retiring Senator George Edwards
ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan today announced an investment of $77 million for realignment and upgrades to Maryland’s section of US 219 in Garrett County. The plan advances the governor’s pledge to address Maryland’s portion of the US 219 corridor between I-68 and Meyerdale, Pa. to improve safety, expand economic opportunity, and reinforce the regional supply chain.
This is the governor’s third major transportation announcement in less than a week: last Wednesday, he opened the new Nice-Middleton Bridge in Charles County, and on Saturday, he broke ground on a new I-95 interchange in Cecil County.
“Through our partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, we are realigning and expanding the final phase of Maryland’s eight-mile portion of the bi-state US 219 corridor,” said Governor Hogan. “The completion of this project will have a dramatic impact on economic vitality throughout the North-South corridor. Millions of tons of freight move through Western Maryland every year, and a fully upgraded and realigned US 219 will greatly enhance connections to those critical routes. The project is also another important step in the full vision for the Appalachian Development Highway System. Equally as important, this transformative project is a shining example of government at all levels working together.”
At the announcement, Governor Hogan also officially dedicated the portion of US 219 in Maryland to retiring State Senator George Edwards, citing the senator’s staunch support for improvements that benefit the region. Highway signs dedicating the roadway section to Senator Edwards—one for each direction on US 219—were unveiled.
The latest improvements to Maryland’s portion of US 219 will renovate and expand the one-mile segment between Old Salisbury Road and the Pennsylvania state line. In 2021, the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) completed Phase I, which included nearly $65 million of upgrades along US 219 between I-68 and Old Salisbury Road. That project transformed that section of US 219 from a two-lane, undivided highway to a realigned, four-lane highway with a median.
The US 219 projects are part of the Appalachian Development Highway System—a 3,090-mile multi-state highway system designed to generate economic development in previously isolated areas, supplement the interstate system, and provide access to areas within the region as well as to markets in the rest of the nation.
Completing Phase II of US 219 in Maryland has been identified as Garrett County’s top transportation priority and is expected to significantly increase economic opportunity in Western Maryland. The project will increase access between Maryland and Pennsylvania for motorists and enhance connectivity to existing routes such as I-68 and I-81. Safety also will be enhanced as the realigned and upgraded roadway will have a median, which will help reduce serious crashes.
“This crucial connection to Pennsylvania’s highway network will be a shot in the arm for Western Maryland and the entire region,” said MDOT Secretary James F. Ports, Jr. “With this project, Governor Hogan and MDOT are reaching across state lines to work with our neighbors as partners on a project that has enormous benefits for the entire region.
”Financing for the project includes funding made possible through the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is leading a bistate team with MDOT to plan the corridor improvements. Through this partnership, PennDOT is the lead agency for the federally required environmental review process for the project.
Additional information on the project is available here.
-###-