October 23, 2018

DCI Joins RK&K for the I-495 & I-270 P3 Program NEPA Study

Maryland has the second-highest commuting times in the country. Only New York is worse. That’s why the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) has launched the Traffic Relief Plan, with the goal of improving quality of life, safety and economic opportunities for Maryland’s residents. One stage of the plan is the I-495 & I-270 P3 Program, in which engineering firm RK&K selected DCI as an embedded partner for the project’s National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) study.

The study evaluated multiple alternatives to accommodate existing and future traffic, extending along I-270 from I-495 to I-370, including the east and west I-270 spurs. DCI provided four engineers for 10 months for this project. One group developed different roadway alignments using Open Roads Software. The cut and fill lines associated with each alternate was determined to asses ROW requirement.

Another group evaluated the stormwater management needs for those same alternates. Outfall points were first identified using roadway topographic and offsite GIS topographic information, aerial photos of the corridor, and right of way/property line/boundary information. Then DCI performed a field investigation for hundreds of sites to identify site constraints for stormwater management and to calculate the surface area needed for stormwater management facilities in accordance with stormwater planning guidelines.  

For its diligent efforts, DCI received rave reviews from RK&K. “DCI’s engineers have been great members of the team while in the office on assignment full time. They have tackled the majority of the POI field investigations required and regularly pitch in for whatever task is requested of them … whether it be reviewing the team’s work or other tasks as assigned.”

DCI is proud to have been a part of a project that the State of Maryland is calling “a historic effort” to transform its overloaded interstates and remove overflow traffic from local roads.