Ongoing construction on Interstate 95 in the Baltimore area should ease commutes, transportation officials said Wednesday. But the changes won’t happen anytime soon.

Construction got underway last year for 10 miles of roadway on I-95 from I-895 north of Maryland Route 43 to help quell weekday traffic jams.

Maryland Transportation Authority officials say routes are most congested north of Baltimore City, and that the addition of two express toll lanes will make work commutes much easier and help decrease accidents. The agency operates the state’s seven toll facilities.

“This all started with the I-95 Master Plan — a study to expand I-95 from [I-]895 up to Delaware,” MdTA spokeswoman Teri Moss said. “We need to reduce congestion [now] because over the next 30 years, studies suggest that traffic along these roadways will increase significantly.”

This story continues below
Advertisement

MdTA project consultant David LaBella said if the problem goes unfixed, things would get worse in both time and distance.

“Right now we are designing for traffic volumes that are 20 years out,” LaBella said. “We have some sections on I-95 within the project area at certain times of the day — most commonly in the morning and after rush hours — where traffic gets so heavy it gets to a level of stop and go.”

LaBella said traffic is graded from A — moving at full speed — to F, where it’s just stop and go. He said MdTA officials’ goal is to remove level F.

Moss said some of the roadways earmarked for improvements will open by 2011. However, progress with current construction will open some general purpose lanes much sooner.

drowley@baltimoreexaminer.com