Maryland State Highway Administration
 | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1908 (as State Roads Commission) |
| Jurisdiction | Maryland |
| Headquarters | "707 Building", 707 North Calvert Street, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. 21202 |
| Employees | 2,960 |
| Agency executive |
|
| Parent agency | Maryland Department of Transportation |
| Website | https://www.roads.maryland.gov/ |
Introduction
The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) is one of six transportation business units in the Maryland Department of Transportation that strive to provide exceptional customer service for the State’s transportation system. MDOT SHA is responsible for maintaining the State’s numbered, non-tolled roads and continues to deliver transportation projects and solutions to improve Maryland's roads and bridges.
Mission
The MDOT SHA Mission Statement is “The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration is a customer-driven leader that delivers safe, sustainable, intelligent and exceptional transportation solutions in order to connect our customers to life's opportunities."
History
During his term as Governor (1908-1912), Austin Lane Crothers pushed the General Assembly to adopt a progressive agenda of public service experts to oversee the people’s business. The result was a State Bank Commissioner, a Public Service Commission and the State Roads Commission. The State Roads Commission was charged with creating a state road system by expanding state aid to county roads, purchasing privately owned turnpikes and building state roads. The “seven-year plan” promised to connect all of Maryland’s county seats with paved roads. The commission became the State Highway Administration on July 1, 1971.
Organization
MDOT SHA headquarters is located in the City of Baltimore and houses numerous divisions and offices, including:
- Office of Planning and Preliminary Engineering
- Office of Highway Development
- Office of Structures
- Office of Environmental Design
- Office of Policy and Research
- Office of Real Estate
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MDOT SHA also maintains a complex in Hanover, which is home to:
- Office of Construction, which provides oversight for MDOT SHA's Construction program, setting policy and supporting all MDOT SHA offices that contribute to building a safe, mobile highway system that enhances Maryland's communities, economy and environment.
- Office of Traffic and Safety (OOTS), including the Traffic Engineering Design Division, which is responsible for the development of new traffic signals, signal modifications, upgrades, and signal phasing; the Signal Operations Section, which provides personnel and equipment for the maintenance and programming of signals along State roadways in every county except Montgomery County; and the Sign Operations Section, which designs and fabricates signing for use throughout the entire State.
- Office of Maintenance, which provides assistance with recurring maintenance tasks that require more intensive study—particularly roadway safety and resurfacing projects.
- The Statewide Operations Center is responsible for requesting incident response teams for incidents on State roadways. Responders may including police, fire, medical, CHART, HazMat, MEMA, environmental, or maintenance teams. This facility is also equipped to operate as a Statewide Transportation Emergency Operations Center.
- Office of CHART and ITS Development ("CHART" is an acronym for Coordinated Highways Action Response Team and provides incident response services throughout the State, though it only provide regular patrols on interstates and select major arterials.)[1]
- The Office of Materials Technology (OMT) which consists of the Executive Services area and eight Divisions: Field Explorations, Engineering Geology, Pavement and Geotechnical, Asphalt Technology, Concrete Technology, Soils and Aggregate Technology, Structural Materials and Pavement Markings and Materials Management. All are crucial in the maintenance of current roadways as well as the development of new ones.
Districts
There are seven engineering districts in the State. These districts, at the least, have divisions for traffic, construction, maintenance, and utilities. Each district also oversees several maintenance shops—typically one per county. The following is a table of the districts, counties within their jurisdiction, and their respective headquarters.[2]
| District | Counties | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wicomico County |
Salisbury |
| 2 | Cecil County Kent County |
Chestertown |
| 2 | Montgomery County |
Greenbelt |
| 4 | Baltimore County |
Cockeysville |
| 5 | Anne Arundel County Calvert County |
Annapolis |
| 6 | Washington County |
La Vale |
| 7 | Frederick County |
Frederick |
Statistics
MDOT SHA owns and maintains the Interstate, U.S. and Maryland numbered non-toll routes. The agency is responsible for more than 17,178 lane miles of roads and ramps and more than 2,500 state-maintained bridges. Approximately 2,960 employees located at MDOT SHA Headquarters, Hanover Complex and district offices provide customers with a safe, well-maintained highway system. Seven districts cover Maryland’s 23 counties. District offices are located in Salisbury (D1), Chestertown (D2), Greenbelt (D3), Hunt Valley (D4), Annapolis (D5), La Vale (D6), and Frederick (D7). Maintenance shops are located throughout the districts.
Highlights
In 2019, MDOT SHA:
- completed 163 projects totaling $492,353,597 to improve congestion and safety across the State. Work continued on 433 active construction projects valued at $3.43 billion.
- continued Public-Private (P3) Program and managed lane study as part of a $10 billion Traffic Relief Plan to offer transformational congestion relief along I-495 and I-270.
- MDOT SHA published a draft Context Driven Access and Mobility for All Users guide that enables flexibility in design solutions to address pedestrian and bicycle access and safety while also considering vehicle movement.
- MDOT SHA provided traffic relief through various methods:
- Smart Signal Corridors.
- Design of a new interchange at I-695 and I-70.
- I-695 Transportation Systems Management Operations (TSMO) project, in which MDOT SHA will use existing shoulders to create a peak-hour travel lane on about 19 miles of both loops of the Baltimore Beltway (I-695) between I-70 and MD 43.
- MDOT SHA treated 65 percent of all State highway lane miles in FY 2015-2019, investing $215 million in 2019 alone.
- MDOT SHA expanded Maryland’s Transportation and Civil Engineering program (TRAC), which provides high school students the opportunity to explore the dynamic, problem-solving world of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); and created a Maryland Roadways Into Developing Elementary Students program (RIDES). Both are part of a larger program begun by the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO).
- MDOT SHA received two America’s Transportation Awards in 2019, recognizing two completed projects: Traffic Relief on the Severn River Bridge and the Replacement of Dover Bridge along MD 331.
Maryland State Highway Administrators
- 2020
- Tim Smith, Administrator
- 2017-2020
- Greg Slater, Administrator
- 2015-2017
- Greg Johnson, Administrator
- 2015
- Doug Simmons, Acting Administrator
- 2011-2015
- Melinda Peters, Administrator
- 2011
- Darrell Mobley, Acting Administrator
- 2003-2011
- Neil Pedersen, Administrator
- 1996-2003
- Parker Williams, Administrator
- 4/1984-1996
- Hal Kassoff, Administrator
- 3/1978–3/1984
- Slade Caltride, Administrator
- 5/1973–2/1978
- Bernard Evans, Administrator
- 9/1972–4/1973
- Jim O’Donnell, Acting SHA Administrator
- 7/1971–8/1972
- David H. Fisher, SHA Administrator
- 1969–6/1971
- David H. Fisher, SRC Chairman and Director of Highways (2/1969–6/1971)
- Mr. Woodford, Chief Engineer 4/1969–?)
- 1960–1969
- Jerome B. Wolff, SRC Chairman and Director of Highways (3/1967–1/1969)
- David H. Fisher, Chief Engineer (1960–1/1969)
- John B. Funk, SRC Chairman (1960–2/1967)
- 1956–1960
- John B. Funk, SRC Chairman and Director of Highways (6/1/1959–1960)
- Norman M. Pritchett, Chief Engineer (1956-1960)
- John J. McMullen, SRC Chairman (1959)
- Robert O. Bonnell, SRC Chairman (1956–1959)
- 1947–1956
- William F. Childs, Jr., Chief Engineer
- Russel H. McCain, SRC Chairman (1951–1956)
- Joseph M. George, SRC Chairman (1950–1951)
- Robert M. Reindollar, SRC Chairman (1947-1950)
- 1939–1947
- Wilson T. Ballard, Chief Engineer
- Robert M. Reindollar, SRC Chairman (1945–1947)
- Ezra B. Whitman, SRC Chairman (1939-1944)
- 1935–1939
- Nathan L. Smith, Chief Engineer
- J. Glenn Beall, SRC Chairman (1938–1939)
- H. E. Tabler, SRC Chairman (1935–1938)
- 1929–1935
- Harry D. Williar, Jr., Chief Engineer
- Nathan L. Smith, SRC Chairman (1935–1935)
- G. Clinton Uhl, SRC Chairman (1929–1934)
- 1918–1928
- John J. Mackall, Chief Engineer
- F. H. Zouck, SRC Chairman
- 1912–1918
- Henry G. Shirly, Chief Engineer
- O.E. Weller, SRC Chairman
- 1908–1912
- Walter W. Crosby, Chief Engineer
- John M. Tucker, SRC Chairman
Note: In 1908 a separate State Roads Commission chairman and a separate chief engineer led the agency. In June 1959 a director of highways was added who also served as State Roads Commission co-chairman. In July 1971 all three roles were subsumed under the MDOT SHA administrator.
See also
References
- "Transportation, Maryland Department of - Functions". www.msa.md.gov. Archived from the original on 2010-04-12. Retrieved 2007-04-03.
- "State Highway Administration - District Reference Chart" (PDF). Maryland State Highway Administration. 2006-02-23. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 30, 2003. Retrieved 2007-04-03.
Bibliography
Counihan, Harold J. (2008). Moving Maryland Forward – A Century of Modern Road Building[1]; Harold J. Counihan, MDOT SHA
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Maryland State Highway Administration. |
| Lists of highways |
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| Shorter than 1 mile (1.6 km) | ||
| Former state highways | ||
| Highway agencies | ||
| Other articles |
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Authority control  |
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- Counihan, Harold J; Maryland; State Highway Administration (2008). Moving Maryland forward: a century of modern road building. ISBN 978-0-9821780-1-0. OCLC 302346062.