GOVERNOR O’MALLEY ANNOUNCES CONTRACT TO CONSTRUCT FINAL SEGMENT OF THE INTERCOUNTY CONNECTOR

Construction between I-95 and US 1 in Prince George’s County to support up to 1,000 jobs

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Martin O’Malley announced that the Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration (SHA) recently awarded ICC Constructors (IC3), a joint venture based in Bethesda, the contract to design and build the final segment of the Intercounty Connector (ICC/MD 200). The $89 million "Contract D/E" will complete the ICC by constructing a one-mile segment between I-95 and US 1 in Prince George’s County.

“Projects like the ICC address our State’s infrastructure needs so the next generation can benefit from an improved transportation system,” said Governor O’Malley. “Construction of this final segment will support up to 1,000 jobs for our families, open the door to new economic development opportunities in northern Prince George’s County, and provide a congestion-free option for residents traveling between the US 1/I-95 corridor and the I-270 corridor.”

In addition to supporting 1,000 jobs, the project also includes an On the Job Training (OJT) program with up to two dozen entry-level employment opportunities in construction trades. The recruits will have the opportunity to reach “journeyperson” status and graduate from the program with transportation skills, increasing their future employment options.

“The additional mile of highway will provide new access points to the ICC from U.S. Route 1 and Virginia Manor Road, providing Prince George's County residents safe, reliable, and convenient access to employment opportunities from U.S. Route 1 to the I-270 high-tech corridor and will improve access to the County for commuters traveling east. This also will relieve traffic congestion for motorists along the Route 1 Corridor and in and around the Laurel area. When completed, this final segment of the ICC will improve access to the business community and expand economic development,” said County Executive Rushern L. Baker III. “The jobs supported by the construction and the OJT program are great news for Prince George’s County.”

The ICC is the state’s first all-electronic toll road, ultimately from I-370 to US 1, in which drivers pay with E-ZPass. Operated by the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA), the ICC provides reliable and relatively congestion free travel between Prince George’s and Montgomery counties. A trip that used to take 47 minutes from Laurel to Gaithersburg now takes 17 minutes on the ICC, a 64 percent time savings that significantly improves mobility for employees and businesses.

The final segment of the ICC will connect to Virginia Manor Road with a partial interchange and to US l near the Muirkirk MARC commuter rail station with a signal-controlled intersection.

Construction will also include separated parallel lanes along I-95 between the ICC and MD 198 interchange for traffic to safely merge at exits.

Engineering design work is underway, with construction starting by late spring of this year. The project is scheduled for completion late 2013/early 2014, weather permitting. At $89 million, Contract D/E is within the $2.5 billion budget of the entire 18.8-mile ICC.

The joint venture IC3 team consists of Shirley Contracting Company, LLC; Clark Construction Group, LLC; Facchina Construction Company, Inc.; and Trumbull Corporation. IC3 was one of three prime contractors that built the first segments of the ICC. The first segment of the ICC, from I-270 to Georgia Ave. (MD 97), opened to traffic Feb. 2011. The next two segments, from Georgia Ave. to I-95, opened to traffic on Nov. 21, 2011.