If you have encountered any protracted delays or heavy congestion as a result of the ICC highway's opening this week, please do not hesitate to e-mail Dr. Gridlock at drgridlock@washpost.com and be sure to copy the ICC"s Spokesperson Ray Feldman at rfeldman@iccproject.com.
Dr. Gridlock pointed out in his column that the temporary interchange between the ICC and Norbeck Road was removed last weekend, but east-west commuters may still use Norbeck to link up with the interchanges on Georgia Avenue or Layhill Road.
That means we could still see heavy traffic congestion on Norbeck Road in the mornings and evenings as motorists jockey to reach the new ICC highway. Hopefully, congestion will ease up when the tolls kick in on Monday, December 05, 2011.
In the meantime, take advantage of the Thanksgiving holiday and weekend to check out the new ICC highway and let us know what you think. By the way, I noticed that the new traffic lights on the Layhill Bridge with entrance/exit ramps to the ICC are poorly timed and abnormally long.
Have a nice holiday and weekend,
Jesse
Full article available after the jump:
Maryland to monitor ICC traffic
Are drivers familiar enough with the Intercounty Connector to gum it up the first week?
Maryland’s transportation agencies say they are going to monitor traffic on the ICC and the roads around it following the Tuesday morning opening, and can adjust the traffic signals and lane access if they find knots of congestion.It will be interesting to see whether enough drivers have been paying attention to the connector’s progress to know how and where to take advantage of the opening right away.
There was a surge of traffic back in February when the first six-mile segment opened. It never felt like a surge when you were on the connector. The issue was crowding around the entrances and exits. But there were only three places to enter and exit.
This time, with another 10-mile section open by 6 a.m. Tuesday, there will be a lot more interchanges to spread out the entering and exiting traffic.
Drivers will be able to travel the road for free, just as they could back in February, before the tolls kicked in. And there may be some Thanksgiving holiday getaway traffic adding to the normal flow of commuters and drivers who just want to see what new pavement looks like.
(The temporary interchange between the connector and Norbeck Road has closed, but east-west commuters may still use Norbeck to link up with the interchanges on Georgia Avenue or Layhill Road.)
If you’re using the connector or one of the nearby highways, pay special attention to the state’s variable message boards for advisories about the connector.
The weather may not be too good for a test drive Tuesday and Wednesday. The Capital Weather Gang says there’s a decent chance of rain both days. Thursday looks good, in case you’d like to begin your
Thanksgiving celebration with a test drive on the new road.
By | 04:57 PM ET, 11/21/2011
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