WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Steny Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, and Anthony Brown (all D-Md.) applauded the National Park Service’s (NPS) announcement that it will immediately use emergency contracting authority to begin repairs on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. Prior to the decision, Senator Cardin spoke by phone with National Park Service Acting Director Dan Smith to urge the NPS to accelerate their work on these issues. Details on the project can be found here.
“I appreciate the willingness of the National Park Service to engage in productive conversations about how to address the serious safety situation on the B-W Parkway and for shifting priorities and resources toward urgently addressing the horrific damage to the roadway’s surface,” said Senator Cardin. “By accelerating the anticipated time necessary for completion of this work from years to months, the Park Service is showing that it takes seriously the stewardship of this essential regional travel artery. I look forward to remaining in close contact with the agency as the B-W Parkway resurfacing project gets underway and moves quickly toward completion with the least disruption possible, ensuring that this and other key maintenance projects on federal lands in Maryland receive the full attention they merit.”
“The current state of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway is unacceptable – it’s a hazard for drivers and has led to serious congestion and traffic issues. That’s why I wrote to the National Park Service stressing the urgent need to make these repairs immediately. I appreciate their efforts to work with us and prioritize this issue. This decision will ensure that repair work will begin right away so that Maryland residents can return to a safe, reliable commute,” said Senator Van Hollen.
“The current state of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway is a real problem for the safety of commuters throughout our region. I am glad that the National Park Service and the Federal Highway Administration are finally taking steps to improve the parkway, and I encourage them to complete the repairs without delay,” said Congressman Hoyer.
“295 isn’t just congested, it’s dangerous,” Congressman Ruppersberger said. “I frequently hear from Second District constituents and other Marylanders who work at Ft. Meade, NSA, DISA, NASA and businesses along the 295 corridor who are understandably frustrated at the deteriorating conditions of their daily commute. This emergency repair work is welcome news to everyone who relies on the Parkway.”
“The expedited emergency repairs that we are announcing today will steadily improve road conditions on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway,” said Congressman Sarbanes. “My colleagues and I in the Maryland Congressional Delegation will continue working closely with the National Park Service and the Federal Highway Administration to ensure that the Parkway– one of our region’s most important transit arteries – remains safe for Maryland commuters.”
“The Baltimore-Washington Parkway is a critical piece of our infrastructure network that too often falls into disregard and disrepair, despite its status as an important regional artery for the tens of thousands of working families who rely on it. Marylanders should not be subjected to the dozens of crashes, potholes, hours of congestion or amount of debris that litter the parkway every day. I am heartened and appreciative of the Federal Highway Administration and National Park Service’s responsiveness, and their decision to act to immediately fix the parkway, making commuting quicker and safer for every person who depends on the parkway to get to school, work, or to return home to their families. This can’t wait,” said Congressman Brown.
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