Traffic improvements and train station renovations have been identified but are far from being resolved as Harford has 885 workdays remaining until nearly 10,000 jobs move to Aberdeen Proving Ground.

Nearly 300 residents, business owners and officials were updated about the county’s and base’s preparations for the federal Base Realignment and Closure Monday night.

Bob Cooper, head of the Department of Public Works, highlighted eight “critical” intersections requiring a total of $127 million in work to avoid traffic congestion, including the intersection of Routes 40 and 715; Route 22 and Beard’s Hill Road; and Route 22 at Paradise Road.

“We have a saying, that all roads lead to APG,” he said at Harford’s third BRAC Town Hall Meeting at Aberdeen High School.

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“Unfortunately, most of those roads are state roads.”

Because state funding for most of those projects is scarce or far in the future, Cooper said his department was asking the state to raise the priority of BRAC-affected road projects and seeking federal funding.

Aberdeen Mayor Mike Bennett said he was working with county and state transit authorities to expand parking at the Aberdeen MARC station. Commuters have been parking in the surrounding neighborhoods and receiving tickets.

As the state plans a new, “multimodal” station combining train and bus services closer to the proving ground’s main gate, Bennett said he had assurances the existing train station would be adapted and re-used.

“We consider the train station an integral part of downtown Aberdeen,” Bennett said.

“But if it can be done, we’re going to look at relocation, and a re-use of the current station through the department of economic development.”

Col. Jeffrey Weissman said projects on base were under way including upgrades to the entrances, improvements to key intersections and addition of 55 miles of fiber-optic cable to carry computer data. The base is expected to start getting jobs transferred in this summer.

“Our goal is not only to enhance traffic on base, but to relieve congestion outside the gates of people trying to get in,” he said.

msantoni@baltimoreexaminer.com