Beginning Tomorrow, Maryland State Highway Administration to Turn on Full-Color Ramp Metering Signals at 18 Interchanges Along Southbound I-270

MDOT will be activating 18 of the new ramp meters along I-270 South beginning tomorrow morning. The meters are a part of Maryland’s I-270 Innovative Congestion Management (ICM) project. The meters have been flashing yellow for the past month. Full details below per Montgomery County:

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, September 14, 2021

The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) will fully activate new ramp meters on 23 ramps to southbound I-270 in Montgomery and Frederick counties on Wednesday, Sept. 15, weather permitting. The state agency said ramp metering is a part of the I-270 Innovative Congestion Management (ICM) project to help improve safety, reduce congestion and save drivers up to 30 minutes on morning commutes between Frederick and I-495 (Capital Beltway).

This is the first system of its kind to be implemented in Maryland.

Ramp metering uses traffic signals and sensors to manage traffic flow entering the highway. MDOT SHA said the system will balance highway demand and capacity, maintain optimal highway operation and reduce congestion. The ramp metering signals will have the capability to operate between 4 a.m. and 11 p.m. daily and are anticipated to be active during peak traffic hours and when I-270 experiences traffic congestion.

Signals at the end of the ramps have been flashing yellow for about a month to alert motorists that activation of ramp metering is coming. When ramp metering is in full operation, motorists will see a warning sign with flashing beacons and should slow down, watch for queued vehicles and be prepared to stop at the stop line just prior to the highway entrance. Once the signal turns green, a driver may proceed and merge onto the highway. When ramp metering is not in operation, beacons will be dark and the traffic signals will flash yellow, allowing motorists to proceed without stopping.

Motorists are advised to use caution and reduce their speeds approaching the traffic signal, as there may be stopped vehicles waiting to merge onto the highway. The system also detects the length of vehicles in queue to help ensure ramps do not back up onto arterial roadways.

For more information and to view a location map and ramp metering video, go to https://mdot-sha-i270-i70-to-i495-inno-cong-mgmt-mo0695172-maryland.hub.arcgis.com/

While a first for Maryland, MDOT SHA said that ramp meters have been used elsewhere as a proven, cost-effective tool to help improve safety and efficiency and reduce congestion. Ramp metering is one piece of the I-270 ICM Project that Governor Larry Hogan announced in 2016 to provide congestion relief and improve travel times throughout the 34.4-mile I-270 corridor from I-70 to I-495.

4PM Update: All lanes of I-270 have reopened, expect residual delays.

Happening Now: Right Three Lanes on I-270 North Prior to Clopper Rd Are Closed

Feature photo courtesy of Instagram user @cmticket24

A traffic incident has closed the right three lanes on I-270 N prior to Clopper Rd. The local lanes remain open and Montgomery County Emergency Management is encouraging drivers to seek an alternate route.

We will update when additional information becomes available.

Montgomery County firefighters are paying their respects to Green Valley Fire Department Battalion Chief Joshua Laird (Frederick County), who died on Wednesday, August 11, 2021, while responding to a two alarm house fire in the 9500 block of Ball Road in Ijamsville, Maryland.

The ceremonial procession transferring Frederick County Division of Fire and Rescue Services fallen firefighter, Station 25, Green Valley Fire Department Battalion Chief Joshua Laird, started at noon today and many will see Montgomery County Fire and Rescue paying their respects on highway overpasses between noon and 1pm.

The first phase of the procession will start at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, 401 East Street SW DC and will end at the Myers-Durboraw Funeral Home, located at 136 East Baltimore Street, in Taneytown, Maryland.

The second phase of the procession will start at the Myers-Durboraw Funeral Home and end at the Monahan Funeral Home, located at 27 East Main Street, Fairfield, PA.

Below are a few pictures, taken by a passenger, of MCFRS on overpasses on I-270.

I-495 and I-270 Managed Lanes Study: Let Your Voice Be Heard

So many of us know the feeling of being stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic jams on I-270 during rush hour. In 2019, a study by Texas A&M University found that the average DC-area car commuter spends 102 hours a year in traffic, which puts it in the top three of metro areas in the entire nation.

The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) is seeking to address these concerns through the I-495 and I-270 Managed Lanes Study. This study, a part of Governor Larry Hogan’s Traffic Relief Plan, hopes to find a solution to the traffic congestion on I-495 and I-270. MD’s DOT is working in cooperation with the Montgomery County Planning Board and other government entities to sort the best step forward for traffic congestion solutions.

A major portion of this process involves taking public comment from citizens concerned with the process; the Maryland Department of Transportation has set up an online page for comments to be shared. The MD DOT tells us that they are accepting comments through Monday, November 9th, 2020. To share your opinion on the traffic congestion situation (and your solutions) on our highways, you can visit the MD DOT’s study webpage here.