State Road Project Report

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Here are some status reports of Maryland State Highway Administration projects in Anne Arundel County:

· Route 468 (Muddy Creek Road) -- Widening and resurfacing of about six miles from Route 255 (Owensville Road) to Snug Harbor Road. Work began in summer 2004 and is scheduled to be completed this fall.

· Route 70 (Rowe Boulevard) -- Rehabilitation of the bridges over Weems and College creeks. Work began in spring 2004 and is scheduled to be completed this fall.

· Interstate 895 (Harbor Tunnel Thruway Spur) -- The bridge deck over Route 2 (Ritchie Highway) is to be replaced. Work is to begin in June and be completed in spring 2007.

· Route 2 (Ritchie Highway) -- Resurfacing of about 1.5 miles from south of Route 10 (Arundel Expressway) to Route 100. Construction is underway, with completion scheduled for fall.

· Eastbound Interstate 195 -- Resurfacing of about a mile from Route 295 (Baltimore-Washington Parkway) to Route 170 (Aviation Boulevard). Work is to start this summer and be completed by spring 2007.

· Route 50 (John Hanson Highway) -- Cleaning and painting the bridge over the Severn River. Work is to begin this fall and be completed in summer 2009.

· Interstate 97 -- Resurfacing of about 17 miles from Interstate 695 (Baltimore Beltway) to Route 50 (John Hanson Highway). Work is underway and should be completed by summer.

Zipper Merging

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

Your column occasionally discusses the problem of traffic merging at construction points. The merge issue seems to elicit angst from many drivers.

On a recent road trip through Pennsylvania, we found different signs managing the merge problem. Early notices read, "Use Both Lanes to Merge Point." As the construction zone neared, later signs read, "Merge Here. Take Your Turn."

We found that system quite effective, even at highway speeds, and there were no backups.

Perhaps this area's traffic management officials could follow that example.

J. Carol Poor

College Park

You mean order at the merge points instead of the every-man-for-himself with occasional teeth-clenching road rage? Naaah. Our transportation officials know best.

The method you describe is also known as the "zipper" method. It is widely used in western Europe. It makes sense, with motorists filling the disappearing lane and then taking turns at the point of merge. It would require new signs and a change of our me-first driving culture.

Get a Second Opinion

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

I live in Maryland and just purchased a 1989 Ford station wagon from a seller in Virginia. When I took the car in for a Maryland safety inspection, the mechanic came up with a long list of very expensive repairs he said the car needed in order to pass.

Now, I understand that the car is old, and I understand the need for safety. But I am suspicious. I feel as if the mechanic saw a relatively old car, knew that he had the power to keep it off the road and sensed a payday. Doesn't this system have a built-in conflict of interest?

John Mullins

Riverdale Park

I haven't heard that it does. When a vehicle fails a safety inspection, a "reject" sticker goes onto the windshield, and the owner has a fixed time, about a week, to make the repairs.

That should allow time for second or third opinions. What's best is to have a longtime mechanic whose judgment you trust.

Donating Vehicles

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

Could you send me the information you previously published on safely donating cars to charities? I remember some of your readers reporting that after donating a car, they received tickets for traffic infractions.

Linda Summerall

Arlington

For the District, Maryland and Virginia, my recommendation is to:

1) Turn in the license plates to the department of motor vehicles and get a receipt.

2) Sign the transfer area of the title and include the name of the charity.

3) Get a receipt, with the donated vehicle's identification number, from the charity, acknowledging that it has received the vehicle from you.

I recently got a call from an impoundment lot in Prince George's County telling me that my vehicle had been towed there and that I owed $1,000 in back parking fines. I had donated the vehicle to the National Kidney Foundation five years earlier.

Mrs. Gridlock pulled out the receipt from the foundation. We faxed it to the impoundment lot, and the matter quickly went away.

So, save those receipts forever.

Transportation researcher Diane Mattingly contributed to this column.

Dr. Gridlock appears Thursdays in the Extra and Sundays in the Metro section. You can write to Dr. Gridlock at 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071. He prefers to receive e-mail, atdrgridlock@washpost.com, or faxes, at 703-352-3908. Include your name, town, county, and day and evening phone numbers.