Pothole Problems Continuing Along Baltimore-Washington Parkway, Gov. Hogan Calling For Change
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The problems with potholes continue on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, and now Gov. Larry Hogan is stepping in to try to fix the situation.
"It's outrageous and unacceptable," Hogan said. "We have cars practically swallowed by potholes. They had to lower the speed limit. They're not fixing it."
Wednesday, Hogan reached out to state representatives asking them to support the state taking over the road from the National Park Service.
Hogan argues that the National Park Service, "Has increasingly demonstrated it is simply not up to the task of maintaining 295."
In a letter Hogan wrote, he pointed out that the agency recently lowered the speed limit to 40 miles per hour on a stretch of the highway due to safety concerns.
"The roads are uneven and bumpy," Rick Eastham, a driver, said. "There are a lot of potholes. You have to avoid them and stay in your lane."
Potholes aren't the only problem along the parkway.
According to Hogan's letter, since 2006 an average of six fatalities and 547 crashes happen per-year.
State Highway Officials said the roads have reached a breaking point.
"I've tried to point out that it's our highway and in fact, it's a dangerous highway," a Maryland Department of Transportation Spokesperson said. "In fact, two years ago there were 14 fatalities within that 18 miles. Last year, there were 12. That's nearly triple the fatality rate of our highway system across the country."
Senator Chris Van Hollen released a statement in part saying:
"The conditions on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway are unacceptable and they must be fixed immediately. This has got to be our first priority -- and it's why I wrote a letter to the National Park Service last week, calling on them to accelerate resurfacing and repair efforts. I'm happy to consider Governor Hogan's request, and I look forward to receiving more detailed information from him on the state's proposal."
Hogan offered a plan if Maryland were to take over 295. He said that the state could build additional express toll lanes to ease congestion.
Those lanes would be new and not interfere with the existing lanes.
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