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If the Biden administration and Congress can come together on an infrastructure bill, Washington will soon be scouring the nation for aging bridges, ports, highways, rail systems and airports in need of repair.
Increasingly, opponents of Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr.鈥檚 plan to widen portions of the Capital Beltway and Interstate 270 are expressing hope that the feds will find a perfect project right in their backyard: the 58-year-old American Legion Bridge, which carries I-495 traffic over the Potomac River between Montgomery County and Fairfax County, Va.
Critics of Hogan鈥檚 plan have never liked his proposed multibillion dollar 鈥減ublic-private partnership鈥� 鈥� or 鈥淧3鈥� 鈥� because of equity and environmental concerns.
From their perspective, convincing the federal government to fund the new bridge would provide the perfect escape hatch.
鈥淒oes it still make sense to do this project as a P3, with high tolls and little or no congestion relief?,鈥� asked Gary V. Hodge, a former elected official from Southern Maryland who now runs a regional consulting firm.
鈥淭he state could pursue federal infrastructure funds to rebuild the bridge and, with its AAA bond rating, obtain the lowest-ever interest rate on capital financing for other needed transportation improvements in the corridor that have strong local government and public support,鈥� he wrote in聽.
The changes the Hogan administration has made to the project align with what Montgomery County Executive Marc B. Elrich (D) has long advocated 鈥� 聽and starting the traffic plan at the bridge, a notorious chokepoint.
Elrich now hopes the Maryland Department of Transportation will tweak the plan some more. He suggests the state use existing pavement to add two reversible lanes on I-270 鈥� rather than four.
And even though the Maryland Transportation Authority is set to vote on the I-495/I-270 plan鈥檚 toll structure on Thursday, Elrich thinks the state should abandon its use of private financing and 鈥渕anaged lanes,鈥� where motorists can effectively buy their way out of traffic, in favor of federal funding.
There is precedent for the region turning to the federal government on a high-profile bridge.
In the late 1990s, the capital region鈥檚 congressional delegation made the replacement of the crumbling Woodrow Wilson Bridge 鈥� between Prince George鈥檚 County and Alexandria, Va., 鈥� a priority.
鈥淢aryland鈥檚 strapped for cash,鈥� Elrich said. 鈥淲e ought to be going to the feds for the American Legion Bridge. 鈥� It makes total sense. But we need everybody to get sensible.鈥�
In an interview, Transportation Secretary Greg Slater said Maryland has a long list of transportation assets that need attention now 鈥� or will need to be redone not far down the road.
For starters, he said, the state and Amtrak are trying to secure federal funds to rehab a 140-year-old rail tunnel in Baltimore.
But that鈥檚 just one need.
鈥淭he Baltimore Beltway was built in 1958/59,鈥� he said. 鈥淚-95 was built around 1957. The Capital Beltway was around 1960/61. The American Legion Bridge was built in 鈥�62.鈥�
鈥淭hen you go a little bit further south,鈥� he continued. 鈥淵ou have the Thomas Johnson Bridge. That was built in the 鈥�70s. Our MARC rail system was [built in the] 1980s. Light rail in Baltimore was built in 鈥�92.鈥�
鈥淢uch of our interstate system was built around the same time,鈥� Slater concluded. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 all kind of coming to roost at the same time.鈥�
Slater noted that Maryland used 鈥淕ARVEE鈥� bonds 鈥� where states borrow against future federal aid 鈥� to build the Intercounty Connector, and the state created a public-private partnership to build the Purple Line.
Bottom line: The state鈥檚 decision to use private financing on the I-495/I-270 project means Maryland can pursue federal funding on its other needs, he said.
鈥淲hat I鈥檓 looking at is an opportunity to use a tool on the American Legion Bridge that we may not be able to use in other parts of the system that may be as big of an infrastructure lift,鈥� Slater said.
Rep. Anthony G. Brown (D), the only Marylander on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said it鈥檚 too early to know how big the American Jobs Plan will be. But he expressed cautious optimism that the American Legion Bridge could attract federal funding.
鈥淭he administration is going to want to look for big project gains, so we can really demonstrate to the American public and taxpayers that this money is going to big things,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he American Legion Bridge has been a big [source of] congestion for a long time.鈥�
