As part of Governor Hogan’s Traffic Relief Plan, and as a companion to the I-495 and I-270 Managed Lanes Study, the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) is at the beginning stages of is evaluating congestion relief improvements on I-270 between I-370 in Montgomery County and I-70 in Frederick County. These activities, known as the I-270 from I-370 to I-70 pre-NEPA activities (270 North Activities) are being conducted in advance of a notice of intent to complete an environmental impact statement (EIS) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
Currently, MDOT SHA is conducting pre-NEPA planning activities that include:
- identifying the project’s draft purpose and need;
- developing a range of preliminary alternatives;
- reviewing the existing and future traffic volumes, and existing environmental conditions;
- engaging the public in pre-NEPA planning activities.
Decisions from these early activities will be applied toward an eventual NEPA environmental review process. Learn more about the 270 North Activities through the MDOT SHA website.
As stewards of the natural and built environment, Montgomery Parks and Planning are working with MDOT SHA as a participating agency on this project to determine the best alternative that meets the goals, objectives and criteria of the project from a land use perspective. Any selected build alternative is likely to have effects on parkland and the associated facilities, programs and natural and cultural resources along the study area. Depending on the anticipated impact of the alternatives, MDOT SHA will ultimately evaluate the impact to properties and resources to determine whether the 270 North Activities should advance to a NEPA Study.