I-495 & I-270 Public-Private Partnership

A plan to reduce traffic congestion for millions in the nation’s capital region

As part of Governor Larry Hogan’s $11 billion Traffic Relief Plan, the I-495 and I-270 Public-Private Partnership (P3) Program is a historical effort led by the MDOT SHA to relieve traffic congestion in the nation’s Capital Region. Environmental and engineering studies are underway in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which includes a range of alternatives for a regional managed lanes network over the 70 miles of roadway that consist of the P3 Program area.

Owner’s representative providing high-level program management services

As the lead joint-venture partner and owner’s representative, RS&H provides program management, concept development, evaluation of solicitation methods and segmentation of the improvements, communications initiatives, performance-based technical requirements development, risk-based capital and operations and maintenance cost estimating, and extensive community outreach. RS&H is also responsible for the planning and execution of the design and construction oversight that will be necessary to ensure a successful implementation of the proposed improvements and agreements.

Relying on RS&H’s tolling experts for guidance

From the technical side, RS&H leads all toll-related activities and deliverables through direct coordination with stakeholders, which includes the Maryland Transportation Authority. This effort includes:

• Performance-based technical provisions
• Comprehensive tolling services agreement
• Business rules for tolling operations
• Tolling technical requirements to support new toll operations for the state

Innovative technology to modernize roadway operations

In addition, we provide strategic technical consulting reviews and inputs to candidate technology and operational solutions put forth by proposed vendors, clarifying the unique requirements, constraints, and opportunities for modernization of roadway operations through the implementation of Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication, deployment of advanced sensor systems, and the use of Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) applications to improve revenue collection, traffic operations, and safety along the corridors.

P3 delivery to promote innovative concepts

The overall complexity of the P3 Program combined with the need to achieve each of the program goals to improve traffic flow, address budget requirements, promote innovative concepts to reduce the environmental and residential impacts, and facilitate the ongoing NEPA process, will help define the scope of the improvements and determine how the P3 Program may be properly phased to achieve Maryland’s P3 Program goals. The P3 Program will utilize a competitive solicitation method for a phased approach, including private development agreements and design-build-finance-operate-maintain models.