Hoyer Celebrates Completion of Brandywine Intersection Improvement Project

"For years, thousands of Prince George's County and Southern Maryland residents have factored several minutes of gridlock along MD 5 between Brandywine Road and MD 373 into their daily commutes, negatively impacting their quality of life and the regional economy," stated Congressman Hoyer. "Widening this stretch to three lanes in both directions should go a long way toward alleviating this problem.  I am proud to have lead the efforts at the Federal level to secure the investment necessary to complete this project."

Governor Martin O'Malley was scheduled to attend today's ribbon-cutting ceremony, but due to the issues that arose as a result of the expected impact of Hurricane Irene, he was unable to make it and provided the following statement in support of the project:

"This project is important to supporting jobs and preserving the quality of life for residents in Southern Maryland," said Governor O'Malley.  "Thanks to Congressman Hoyer and all of our federal partners, we can provide much-needed relief for commuters and improve safety for residents and travelers in Prince George's and Charles Counties."

The improvements to MD 5 (Branch Avenue) at MD 373 and Brandywine Road include widening to three lanes in each direction, upgrading traffic signals and constructing ADA-compliant sidewalks for pedestrian traffic.

This project is intended to help ease traffic congestion experienced during peak travel times on MD 5 by providing additional lane capacity.  More than 65,000 vehicles travel through this intersection each day; this volume is expected to surpass 97,000 by 2030. MD 5 connects the District of Columbia to Prince George's County and Southern Maryland, the state's fastest growing region. 

The improvements represent the first of two phases that will eventually include a new interchange and a ridesharing lot to alleviate the increase in traffic spurred by population growth in Prince George's County and Southern Maryland.

###