First Segment of Intercounty Connector Close to Opening

The first segment of the Intercounty Connector — a Maryland toll road that has been talked about for decades and that will eventually connect parts of Montgomery, Howard and Prince Georges counties — could be just weeks away from opening.

The initial stretch, known as Contract A, may open as early as late December and will run 7.5 miles from I-270 / I-370 near the Shady Grove Metro station in Gaithersburg to just east of MD 97 (Georgia Avenue), project managers said.

"We had originally set a goal for late 2010 and the goal is still late this year — by the end of December," said Ray Feldmann, community outreach coordinator and media relations manager with the ICC Project Management Office.

But there are no guarantees, Feldmann said .

"A lot of the things that need to be finished are weather dependent. It involves grading and paving," said Feldmann. "Paving is affected by precipitation and temperature. When it drops below 50 to 55 degrees, you can't pave."

There's also lane stripping, guard rail installation and landscaping to be done. The road's electronic toll collection system also needs to be ready. Feldmann reports that the system is currently being tested.

For some county residents, the new road could potentially mean less time spent in the car.

"The Maryland Transportation Authority estimates that the trip between Gaithersburg and Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring takes 22 minutes on local roads," John Townsend, a spokesperson for AAA, said via e-mail. "The same trip will take seven minutes on the ICC."

Not only could the new highway make commutes quicker, Townsend said the six lane highway may also make traveling in the area safer.

"In theory, and in practice, the ICC will increase traffic safety by alleviating traffic and congestion on area roads and the Capital Beltway," said Townsend. "It will also improve mobility in an area notorious for having the second most congestion and gridlock in the entire nation."

Feldmann said the ICC will take some truck traffic off the local roads and could help, from a homeland security perspective, allow vehicles to move more quickly across the area.

But David Alpert, founder of GreaterGreaterWashington.com, which focuses on walkable cities and neighborhoods in the region, said the new highway could make local roads more dangerous for pedestrians.

"People, most likely, driving on the alternate routes [to the ICC] will find less traffic and will drive faster," said Alpert, who points out that Montgomery County designs its roads for car speed.

"You don't get pedestrian safety by building more auto infrastructure. You have to design roads for pedestrian safety, rather than design roads somewhere else," he said.

Commuter buses will run along the ICC, with two routes set to begin operating as soon as the first segment of the road is open. Bus Route 201 will take passengers from Gaithersburg to BWI Airport and Bus Route 202 will shuttle between Gaithersburg and the National Security Agency (NSA) and Fort Meade.

Alpert applauded the inclusion of public transit but said he still worries about the additional commuters the road will encourage.

"It's great that they're putting buses on [the ICC], but the road is pushing more automobile development. Maybe some people will move to the new road, but people will take their place. It's called induced demand," said Alpert.

He said the road could also lead to people deciding they can live further from where they work. "Someone who works in Ft. Meade could live in Frederick County. People will move to more distant places and you'll get more sprawl," Alpert said.

Segment A of the ICC will contain only three interchanges: one at I-370 / MD 355 where the toll road begins, another at I-370 / Shady Grove Road  and the nearby Metro Access roads and one where the ICC meets MD 97, just south of Olney.

"We want it to operate with as little negative impact on local roads as possible," Feldmann said. "By minimizing the number of interchanges it helps to keep speeds up. The whole purpose is to take traffic that exists on local roads and put it on a road that moves at 55 mph."

Traffic on the ICC can also be controlled by toll rates. "This is a congestion managed toll road," said Feldmann. "Depending on traffic volume, the toll rate can be adjusted." For example, rates could be set higher at peak times to encourage more travel outside of the busiest hours.

According to the Maryland Transportation Authority's website, tolls will start at $1.45 during peak hours, $1.15 during off-peak and $0.60 during the overnight period for cars and light trucks.

Peak hours will be Monday through Friday from 6 to 9 a.m. and from 4 to 7 p.m., excluding federal holidays. Off-peak hours are Monday through Friday from 5 to 6 a.m., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 to 11 p.m, as well as Saturday and Sunday from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Overnight includes travel between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. any day.

But Feldman said tolls may not be collected at the start to give people a chance to learn about the road.

"It's like going to a gym to try it, before you pay for your membership," said Feldman. 

Contracts B and C , which will take the road as far as Interstate 95, are scheduled to open in late 2011 or early 2012. "The goal [for the opening of Contracts B and C] is one year after contract A opens," said Feldmann. "We had a wet fall last year followed by a devastating winter with snow storms and blizzards, and we lost some time in our schedule. We have to wait and see what weather we get over the next year."