- City Projects
- I-495 and I-270 Managed Lanes Project
I-495 and I-270 Managed Lanes Project
The Mayor and Council oppose a state project to add toll lanes on interstates 270 and 495 between the American Legion Bridge and Frederick, as a state board approved the project.
On May 6, 2022, the Mayor and Council released the following statement concerning a request for de minimis concurrence of 2.1 acres of Rockville parkland:
Dear Rockville Residents,
On February 17, 2022, the City of Rockville received a letter from the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) concerning a request for de minimis concurrence of 2.1 acres of Rockville parkland, from three City parks, for the Managed Lanes Study (MLS) project land needs along I-270. The letter proposed that replacement parkland elsewhere in the City would be provided to the City for parkland. The need for the City land and the replacement parkland would depend upon whether the MLS I-270 project is ultimately approved.
In consultation with its legal team and City Staff, Mayor and Council learned that, on this very specific provision of federal law (Section 4(f) (23 CFR 774.17), the U.S. Government and the State of Maryland could impose only fair market value compensation were Rockville not to concur with the de minimis findings. In other words, the Federal and State Government hold all the power on this matter. Further, a Rockville non-concurrence would not have delayed or impeded the project in any way. Therefore, on April 25, 2022, the Mayor and Council of Rockville reluctantly directed the City Manager to concur with the de minimis request.
The three City Parks impacted by the de minimis concurrence are Rockmead Park, Woottons Mill Park, and the Rockville Senior Center and Park. A fourth property, Bullards Park and Rose Hill Stream Valley Park, would also be impacted but is not of de minimis nature and will be handled differently. In total, 5.4 acres of the City’s parkland over the four properties would be impacted, including 5.2 acres of permanent impact and 0.2 acres of temporary impact.
The Mayor and Council’s concurrence included agreement on the replacement parkland to be provided to the City as mitigation for the 5.4 acres. Had the Mayor and Council not concurred with the 4(f) de minimis finding, the City would not have been able to have input into mitigation for the affected parkland. The Mayor and Council determined that it was in the best interest of the City to concur with the de minimis finding in order to receive more favorable replacement parkland in mitigation.
Rockville’s Mayor and Council remain strongly opposed to the proposed expansion of I-270 and are pursuing plausible avenues to stop this project. Further information on Rockville Mayor and Council’s communications pertaining to this project can be found at https://www.rockvillemd.gov/2371/I-495-and-I-270-Managed-Lanes-Project.
Mayor and Council
The Board of Public Works, comprised of the governor, comptroller and state treasurer, approved the project on a 2-1 vote on Jan. 8, 2020, with Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp voting in opposition.
The approved plan calls for toll lanes between a widened Legion Bridge and Interstate 370, and defers widening the remainder of I-495.
The Mayor and Council have actively engaged with the state about this proposed project, encouraging state officials not to take homes or breach sound-wall boundaries.
Visit the Maryland Department of Transportation website for more information about the I-495 and I-270 Managed Lanes Project.
Download the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Draft Section 4(f) Evaluation or view the Final Environmental Impact Statement and Final Section 4(f) Evaluation of the I-495 and I-270 Managed Lanes Study.
Timeline
- Nov. 2, 2021: SHA Seeks Access to Properties as Part of I-495 and I-270 Managed Lanes Project
- Oct. 21, 2021: Mayor and Council Seek Extension to Comment Period for I-270/495 Plans
- June 30, 2021: COG Transportation Board Removes I-270/I-495 Toll Lanes from Project List
- June 7, 2021: Mayor and Concil to Join Rally to Stop I-495 and I-270 Managed Lanes Project
- April 28, 2021: Mayor and Council Urge Comptroller to Oppose I-495 and I-270 Managed Lanes Project
- Nov. 5, 2020: Mayor and Council to State: Don’t Build the I-270/I-495 Widening Project
- Sept. 3, 2020: Public Hearings for I-270/I-495 Widening Project
- June 30, 2020: Mayor and Council Call on State to Slow its Roll on I-270/I-495 Widening
- Jan. 24, 2020: City Opposes I-270 Widening
- Nov. 12, 2019: SHA to Host Workshops on Section of I-270
- April 25, 2019: State to Host Workshops on Proposed I-270/I-495 Widening Project
Letters
- Letter from the Mayor and Council to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and MD DOE Wetlands and Waterways Program with Additional Comments on the I-495 and I-270 Managed Lane Study JPA, October 28, 2022
- Letter from DPW to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and MD Dept. of the Environment Wetlands and Waterways Program, Sept. 26, 2022
- Letter from the US Department of Transportation in response to City’s letter to the Secretary of Transportation about environmental justice, local roads and greenhouse gas emissions, July 18, 2022
- Letter from the Mayor and Council to the US Department of Transportation about an additional review and public comment period for the Final Environmental Impact Statement, July 15, 2022
- Letter from the Montgomery County State Delegation to the US Department of Transportation about an additional review and public comment period for the Final Environmental Impact Statement, July 8, 2022
- Letter from MDOT/SHA in response to City’s comments on DEIS and SDEIS, June 10, 2022
- Letter to Secretary of Transportation about environmental justice, local roads and greenhouse gas emissions, June 8, 2022
- Letter to the Transportation Planning Board with Comments for the 2022 Update to Visualize 2045, April 29, 2022
- Letter to FHWA with City concurrence on the Section 4(f) de minimis finding, April 26, 2022
- Letter from FHWA seeking City concurrence on the Section 4(f) de minimis finding, April 21, 2022
- Letter to MDOT/SHA in reference to the De Minimis Impact Determination, March 21, 2022
- Letter from MDOT/SHA in reference to the De Minimis Impact Determination, February 17, 2022
- Letter to FHWA and MDOT about environmental justice, local roads and greenhouse gas emissions, Jan. 26, 2022
- Letter to MWCOG/TPB in response to Visualize 2045, the region's long-range transportation plan, April 30, 2021
- Traffic & Transportation Commission letter in response to Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Nov. 9, 2020
- Mayor and Council letter in response to Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Nov. 4, 2020
- Response to Maryland Department of Transportation, June 30, 2020
- Letter to Gov. Hogan, Comptroller Franchot and Treasurer Kopp, Jan. 6, 2020
- Letter to Gov. Hogan, Secretary Rahn, and Administrator Slater, March 22, 2019
- Letter to Maryland Department of Transportation, Aug. 23, 2018
- Letter to Maryland Department of Transportation, May 14, 2018