The latest iteration of the Maryland Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) six-year Capital Transportation Program (CTP) includes several public transportation upgrades, BWI Airport safety improvements and Key Bridge updates.
The CTP is MDOT’s six-year budget for statewide transportation projects, and spending is projected to hit $21.5 billion over the next five fiscal years.
The department released the draft program in September and spent a month on its “Fall Tour,” presenting the proposal to local jurisdictions.
Transportation officials presented the proposal to the House Appropriations Transportation and the Environment Subcommittee on Thursday, fielding questions from lawmakers one final time before it is officially looped into Gov. Wes Moore’s recommended state budget in the new year.
Maryland Transit Authority (MTA) Administrator Holly Arnold says $1.4 billion will be supporting the Light Rail Modernization Project.
“[The project will] replace the current light rail fleet with modern vehicles and upgrade our stations systems and maintenance facilities. This is the first significant investment in the light rail system in 30 years,” she said.
She also reported construction of the Purple Line in the DC suburbs is nearly 85 percent complete with 65 percent of track laid and all 21 stations nearing completion.
The Purple Line Small Business Grant Program – providing funding support for businesses experiencing adverse effects during construction closures or detours – has awarded more than $1.5 million to 146 small businesses along the alignment.
MDOT will invest a total of $4 million in the program over the next four years.
The relaunched Red Line project in Baltimore — a priority of the Moore administration — remains in the planning and design phase.
Arnold also expects the first new metro subway car to be in service early next year.
BWI-Marshall Airport is receiving nearly $1 billion for improvements, including rehabilitating the 10/28 runway.
“This project will resurface the longest runway, 10/28, at BWI Marshall, as well as the intersection of runway 15R-33L. If this intersection fails, the airport operations will cease,” said Maryland Aviation Administration Executive Director Shannetta Griffin.
Those two projects are estimated to cost just under $100 million and construction will begin in late summer of next year, predominantly overnight to avoid traffic interference.
Runway 10/28 was closed earlier this year from April to May for pavement work and lighting replacements.
Executive Director of the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) Bruce Gartner reaffirmed the new funding and timeline estimates for the Key Bridge, projecting the project will cost between $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion and will be opening in late 2030.
Gartner says MDTA is utilizing over $350 million in insurance funds for the new build, but the state will have to advance upfront construction costs due to federal reimbursements lagging by about 12 months.
“As a result of that, we do see a need coming up in our revenue bond cap, needing to go from $4 billion to $5 billion. So we're working on a legislative proposal for the upcoming session,” he said.
Lawmakers will begin reviewing Moore’s recommended budget and the full CTP in January before approving a final budget bill in the spring.
