Montgomery County trail rehabilitation, C&O Canal towpath repairs, and bicycle and pedestrian improvements are among the projects included in $11.3 million in grants announced by the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT).
The Fiscal Year 2027 funding will support 24 projects statewide through three grant programs. MDOT’s announcement identifies Montgomery County projects in each program, although it does not provide individual award amounts or exact locations for most of the local work.
Through the federal Transportation Alternatives Program, funding will support repair and rehabilitation of a 20-mile stretch of the C&O Canal towpath in Montgomery and Washington counties. Montgomery County is also listed among the jurisdictions receiving funding for new active transportation facilities, which support travel such as walking and bicycling.
The Transportation Alternatives Program awards total $6.5 million for six projects statewide. The announcement does not specify how much of that funding will go toward the towpath work or the other Montgomery County improvements.
Montgomery County is also included in boardwalk and trail rehabilitation funded through the federal Recreational Trails Program. That program will provide $2.8 million for six projects across Maryland, including rehabilitation work in Montgomery and Kent counties and the Garrett County town of Loch Lynn Heights.
Additionally, Montgomery County will receive support for a minor retrofit project through the state-funded Kim Lamphier Bikeways Network Program. MDOT identified three retrofit projects across Montgomery County, Anne Arundel County, and Baltimore City that collectively will add wayfinding between bike paths and major destinations, make lower-cost safety improvements, and expand shared micromobility. The release does not specify which improvements are planned for Montgomery County.
“With these newly funded bicycle, pedestrian and trail projects, Marylanders will have more options to commute, exercise and get to school safely and efficiently,” said Maryland Transportation Secretary Katie Thomson.
Statewide, the awards include $9.3 million in federal funding for 12 projects and $2 million in state Bikeways funding for another 12 projects. MDOT said the investments will improve safety and expand transportation connections for people of all ages and abilities. Construction schedules for the Montgomery County projects were not included in the announcement.
