State outlines $32.5 million in safety projects for MD 231 and advances Thomas Johnson Bridge studies

Acting Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary Samantha Biddle told the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners that the draft six‑year Consolidated Transportation Program (CTP) primarily focuses on safety, state officials and county leaders said. "The department is utilizing every dollar to make strategic investments," Biddle said, describing a statewide package of increased revenue that the administration projects will turn about $400 million in new annual resources into nearly $700 million once combined with federal financing.

Will Pines, Maryland State Highway Administrator, described local projects in Calvert County that the draft CTP funds. Pines said the SHA has identified $32.5 million in safety work on Maryland 231 at three locations and provided estimated costs and schedules: the Toy Lane–Prince Frederick Boulevard segment is currently estimated at just over $14 million with construction anticipated in 2028; the Maryland 508 intersection project is estimated at about $13 million with construction starting in 2027; and the Skipjack Road improvements, including left‑turn lanes and drainage work, are estimated at just over $5 million, with construction targeted for 2028.

Pines also updated commissioners on the Thomas Johnson Bridge, saying the state has obligated an earlier $1 million earmark and is advancing underwater surveys and a navigation study. "We are procuring a solar‑powered mast height measurement system to monitor vessel traffic and inform the navigation study," he said, adding that the draft navigation report is expected in spring 2026 and that a preliminary Coast Guard determination on height could come in summer 2026.

Commissioners pressed MDOT staff on project limits, construction durations and local traffic impacts. Pines said final schedules and scope will be refined in design, and county and state staff discussed the possibility of adding turn lanes and coordinating outreach. MDOT officials said signal timing improvements in Prince Frederick and Dunkirk are underway and that SHA is deploying smart signal technology and corridor management where spacing and crash statistics support the measures. The board encouraged MDOT to prioritize turn lanes and intersection safety work during site planning and permitting.

Next steps include continued county‑state coordination during design and traffic‑management planning, submission of required access permits to State Highway, and public outreach once project graphics and schedules are finalized.