Carroll County staff outline FY26 transportation priorities to submit to MDOT; projects include MD 97, MD 32, MD 26, MD 140 and MD 27

Carroll County planning and public works staff presented the county’s proposed FY26 priorities for the Maryland Department of Transportation’s six-year Consolidated Transportation Program (CTP), telling commissioners the draft will be returned for final approval in two weeks and submitted to MDOT by the May 16 deadline.

Staff said the county’s list retains five highway-capacity projects that have appeared in recent priority letters: • Maryland 97 (from MD 496 to MD 140 in Westminster): long-term scope to widen from three lanes to five lanes with a full Meadow Branch Road interchange and pedestrian facilities; a feasibility study is complete and under internal SHA review. • Maryland 32 (from MD 26 South to the Carroll County line): ultimate widening from two to four lanes; breakout geometric improvements are in design and staff requested restoration of construction funds previously removed from the CTP. • Maryland 26 (MD 32 east to the reservoir): corridor study identified practical breakout projects; county requests design funds for converting an eastbound right-turn-only lane to a right-turn-and-through lane at Georgetown Boulevard through Homeland Drive. • Maryland 140 (Carroll County line to west of MD 91): county requested an advanced planning study (previously framed as a PEL study) to identify breakout projects and safety/access improvements on this busy gateway corridor. • Maryland 27 (county line to Lake Shearer Road): county seeks eventual four-lane roadway with turn lanes, signals and pedestrian crossings; breakout projects will be coordinated with Mount Airy development activity.

Staff also requested construction funding for two urban reconstruction (streetscape) projects: Sykesville Main Street (MD 851) and MD 31 in New Windsor. For Sykesville, concept design is complete and county staff indicated water/sewer upgrades and SHA drainage work are complete; county seeks funding to move the project to construction. The Patapsco Regional Greenway (shared-use trail linking Sykesville to downtown Baltimore) was included as the county’s bike-ped priority.

Among local safety concerns repeated in the letter are two items staff recommended retaining: safety and access enhancements at the Maryland 140 landfill turnaround (to address inadequate space for multi-axle vehicles and U-turns) and inclusion of the Taneytown bypass in the highway-needs inventory (HNI). Staff reported the HNI is nearly complete and that the bypass will be included when released, but recommended keeping it in this year’s priority letter until that HNI is published.

Commissioners asked specific questions about Mount Airy development and whether the state’s review would require improvements to MD 27 as housing units are built. Staff said the state reviews traffic impact studies in development review and agreed to check if MDOT would require improvements tied to the projects discussed.

Staff outlined the CTP schedule: draft priorities submitted to MDOT by May 16; county tour with the MDOT secretary in September–October; and the secretary presents the CTP to the legislature in January. Staff said they will present a final draft to commissioners in two weeks and asked commissioners to provide any last edits before submission.