Maryland DOT outlines $32.5 million of safety projects on MD 231, advances work on Thomas Johnson Bridge study

Acting Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary Samantha Biddle told the Calvert County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 29 that the draft six‑year consolidated transportation program (CTP) includes new state dollars and federal financing that the agency is directing toward safety, preservation and targeted improvements across the state — including projects in Calvert County.

The CTP “is balanced six years at approximately $21,500,000,000,” Biddle said, adding that “with these additional dollars, the department is stretching the funding by combining it with federal resources and financing options to turn $400,000,000 into an additional almost $700,000,000 in annual transportation funding.” She said those added resources are being used to advance safety and system maintenance in Calvert County and statewide.

Why it matters: commissioners and residents have long cited traffic congestion and crash risk on Maryland 231 and in the Prince Frederick corridor as priorities. MDOT officials provided project limits, preliminary schedules and cost estimates for three safety improvement projects on MD 231 and described next steps on the Thomas Johnson Bridge process, including hydrographic and navigation studies.

State Highway Administrator Will Pines said SHA has identified $32,500,000 in safety projects on the Maryland 231 corridor at three locations. “We have $32,500,000 in safety projects planned at three locations,” Pines said. SHA officials said the projects are: adding a westbound left‑turn lane at MD 231 and MD 508 (design complete 2026, construction anticipated 2027); adding a center turn lane on MD 231 between Ploy Lane and Prince Frederick Road (design under way, construction anticipated 2028); and adding left‑turn lanes, bicycle lanes and drainage upgrades at MD 231 and Skipjack Road (construction anticipated in 2028). SHA provided project limits for each location and said the Toy Lane–Prince Frederick Boulevard improvement is currently estimated at about $14,000,000, the MD 508 intersection at about $13,000,000, and the Skipjack Road work at roughly $5,000,000. Officials said funding is being drawn from federal Highway Safety Improvement Program allocations combined with state resources.

MDOT and SHA staff told commissioners they plan to keep outreach to local leaders and the public as design progresses and to publish project graphics and a possible project newsletter. Officials said they will coordinate traffic‑management plans during construction to protect school and local access.

Thomas Johnson Bridge studies: SHA and MDOT described several steps underway to inform a future replacement of the Thomas Johnson (Solomons) Bridge. Pines said MDOT has procured an underwater survey program and a solar‑powered mast‑height monitoring system to record vessel heights under the span and to inform a navigation study. SHA has received a Coast Guard letter and a designated project officer to support permitting; the draft navigation report is expected in calendar 2026 and an application to the Coast Guard for a preliminary determination is targeted in 2026. Officials emphasized the bridge’s current safety: “Based on those inspections, the bridge is rated in fair condition,” Pines said, noting routine dive inspections and hydrographic surveys continue.

Transit, local grants and other modes: MDOT presenters also reviewed other programs that include Calvert County. Maryland Transit Administration representatives said MTA grants will provide nearly $1.5 million in support to locally operated transit for preventative maintenance, design funding for a new transfer station and two small buses. The Tri‑County Council for Southern Maryland received an $88,000 Safe Streets for All grant, MDOT said. The Maryland Transportation Authority and Motor Vehicle Administration representatives described bridge safety patrols, outreach programs and local safety grants administered to law enforcement.

What MDOT will do next: officials said the department will continue to update schedules and cost estimates as designs progress, post project information to public portals and coordinate with county staff on outreach. Pines said SHA will examine opportunities during design to extend project limits if local officials identify immediate needs, and SHA representatives invited local staff to suggest areas for additional study.

Local reaction and next steps: Commissioners asked MDOT to consider turn lanes and extended project limits where crash patterns show concentrated conflict points and to run closer coordination about timing, school impacts and adjacent local projects. MDOT staff said the department will follow up with more detailed graphics, schedules and a contact path for regular updates as design work proceeds.

Ending: MDOT officials characterized the draft CTP as a funding platform that allows the state to address backlogged maintenance and safety needs while advancing several corridor projects in Calvert County; they advised commissioners that schedules and cost estimates will be refined as designs and permitting progress.