Contract E
Project Details
Detailed neighborhood-by-neighborhood maps of Contract E. Note: Maps are subject to change due to design refinements.
Overview
Contract E will follow Contracts A, C and B and includes:
- The easternmost 0.9 mile of the ICC, stretching from just east of I-95 to US 1.
- 0.6 miles of Virginia Manor Road (Muirkirk Road to the PEPCO transmission main to the north).
- 0.7 miles of US 1 (Muirkirk Road to north of the PEPCO transmission main to the north).
Contract E transitions the ICC from a six-lane highway with grade separated interchanges to a four-lane boulevard ending with an at-grade intersection at U.S. Route 1 in Prince Georges County. A partial interchange will be constructed at Virginia Manor Road, and both Virginia Manor Road and US 1 will be reconstructed as boulevards.
Contract E map.
Key Neighborhood and Environmental Features
Contract E spans a primarily undeveloped but developing area. The most significant environmental feature is a wetland conservation site north of the ICC at the west end of Contract E.
Contract E will build one new bridge that features high-quality aesthetics to complement the surrounding area.
To minimize community impacts, major effort will be made to ensure work schedules, noise, dust, haul routes, maintenance of vehicular and pedestrian traffic, staging areas, retaining walls and employee parking are developed in keeping the quality of life of the of local communities.
At the eastern end of Contract E, several visual cues will alert motorists that the six-lane highway is transitioning to the four-lane boulevard and finally to a signalized intersection. These include reduced design speeds, adding curbs and gutters, denser and more formalized landscaping and possibly lighting.
Community Communication
The ICC project team is committed to ongoing open communication with affected communities while the highway is designed and built. The team will make every major effort to keep impacts on local communities to a minimum, including minimizing construction noise and dust and maintaining local vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
Travel Benefits
Connecting U.S. Route 1, a major north-south route, with the remainder of the ICC will enable more efficient and safe travel between Prince George's and Montgomery counties via a grade-separated freeway versus having to use various local roads to get to interchanges of the ICC.
Traveling cross-county currently requires driving hilly, twisting two-lane roads that are frequently congested. Poor sightlines and unfettered access from driveways and cross-streets increases the risk of crashes.
The ICC project includes funding to implement the capital and operational results of an ongoing study of east-west transit on the ICC.
Contract E also will provide a more direct link to the Muirkirk MARC station for travelers approaching from west of US 1.
Drawing shows Contract E, the only section of the ICC that will be four lanes.
Timeline
- Contract E will be scheduled so that its completion coincides with the opening of the full ICC late 2011.
- The anticipated start and completion of Contract E will be posted when established.