Construction at 85 and 270 (live, safety, food)

[MidValleyDad]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

They finished a major project here recently (raising a road, replacing a bridge, ancillary work on a flood management structure)several months (8) ahead of schedule. Of course the residents bitched and moaned the entire time about how inconvenient having to take the detour was. What was the funniest was the people who benefitted the most from the flood control/management component complained the most and tried the hardest to stop the project entirely. It was a component reason why I lost my last election (calling the opponents dumbasses who were only happy if they were unhappy about something probably was a factor. Also telling them that the time to object was during the three year public comment period and not after a couple million dollars was spent and the project started didn't help).

People generally aren't complaining about this project (except for the backup onto I-270 by closing the Westbound 270 to southbound 85 exit and there it is just by not following the marked convoluted detour and just making semi legal U-turns or illegal left turns where ever the want) and everyone knows it is 20 years past due and is only part of the overall long term plan.

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by MidValleyDad

People generally aren't complaining about this project (except for the backup onto I-270 by closing the Westbound 270 to southbound 85 exit and there it is just by not following the marked convoluted detour and just making semi legal U-turns or illegal left turns where ever the want) and everyone knows it is 20 years past due and is only part of the overall long term plan.

I moved away 13 years ago now, but every time I return I am surprised at how much work has been done on that part of I-70. It is much improved over the time I lived there. Once I-270 interchange is upgraded, things should be much smoother.

[DaveinMtAiry]

Originally Posted by westsideboy

I moved away 13 years ago now, but every time I return I am surprised at how much work has been done on that part of I-70. It is much improved over the time I lived there. Once I-270 interchange is upgraded, things should be much smoother.

I deliver for Grubhub in Frederick in retirement so I'm there every night. The interchanges and overall highway system there is pretty amazing and well planned. This particular project will be great when it's done. But I can't imaging being a commuter and being forced to go north on 85 from 270 as the south exit has been closed for a long time, then having to make a U turn on a very crowded route 85. And doing that every day for years.

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by DaveinMtAiry

I deliver for Grubhub in Frederick in retirement so I'm there every night. The interchanges and overall highway system there is pretty amazing and well planned. This particular project will be great when it's done. But I can't imaging being a commuter and being forced to go north on 85 from 270 as the south exit has been closed for a long time, then having to make a U turn on a very crowded route 85. And doing that every day for years.

My in-laws live in Urbana, and we go on I-70 to Rt. 75 to get there these days. It used to be faster to zip down I-270, but the I-70 upgrades make that route a breeze.

[MidValleyDad]

Originally Posted by DaveinMtAiry

I deliver for Grubhub in Frederick in retirement so I'm there every night. The interchanges and overall highway system there is pretty amazing and well planned. This particular project will be great when it's done. But I can't imaging being a commuter and being forced to go north on 85 from 270 as the south exit has been closed for a long time, then having to make a U turn on a very crowded route 85. And doing that every day for years.

The project will never be done! When they get the current I-270/Rt-85 part done they will start on another portion. I agree that each part is improving things but the entire area is growing so fast that every improvement they make shows a weakness somewhere else.

[DaveinMtAiry]

I always knew Frederick was a great place but I really got to know it since I started driving there regularly. Just a perfect sized town for me, has everything and is small enough to get from one side to the other in 12 minutes. Other than 15 North and 70 west to Hagerstown there does not seem to be a lot of rush hour traffic, and every city has rush hour traffic and the brief slowdowns on those roads are nothing compared to other areas we know.

Very few bad neighborhoods, the only time I felt unsafe was a delivery to Damascus in an 8A apartment complex. Of course it's beautiful as well, my "office" is now a drive among farmland and with mountain views or beautiful Market Street. We'll probably downsize to Frederick but it appears as if a small rambler there will costs as much as a farmhouse in Mt Airy.

[DaveinMtAiry]

Went driving in Frederick for the first time in a while. The project has made great progress in the last few months, you can now exit to Rt. 85 south from 270 North now. But man is it overly complicated. Driving south on 85 it now splits off, to the left is the exit to 270 south, to continue south on 85 you are now required to cross the oncoming traffic on 85 north that is exiting to 270 North that is controlled by a light. Just so weird.

[macroy]

Originally Posted by DaveinMtAiry

Went driving in Frederick for the first time in a while. The project has made great progress in the last few months, you can now exit to Rt. 85 south from 270 North now. But man is it overly complicated. Driving south on 85 it now splits off, to the left is the exit to 270 south, to continue south on 85 you are now required to cross the oncoming traffic on 85 north that is exiting to 270 North that is controlled by a light. Just so weird.

I moved here about a year and a half ago. And that whole intersection is just a cluster. Yes, they've made progress in that you can now exit/enter from all directions. But the continued construction means the patterns still change daily (two lanes, 1 lane, etc.). It doesn't help that they're widening the entire area to 85 and Crestwood. Crestwood is actually closed in the evenings now (going toward 85) right by Westview. So everyone gets detoured down Westview Dr.

I don't even consider going near there during the holiday season with FSK mall there. It's New Design Rd. or 355 to bypass that entire area.

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by macroy

I moved here about a year and a half ago. And that whole intersection is just a cluster. Yes, they've made progress in that you can now exit/enter from all directions. But the continued construction means the patterns still change daily (two lanes, 1 lane, etc.). It doesn't help that they're widening the entire area to 85 and Crestwood. Crestwood is actually closed in the evenings now (going toward 85) right by Westview. So everyone gets detoured down Westview Dr.

I don't even consider going near there during the holiday season with FSK mall there. It's New Design Rd. or 355 to bypass that entire area.

Wow, Crestwood and Westview! I haven't heard those names in a long time. I think I worked on Westview Dr for a year or so. Nice views of Sugar Loaf Mtn., right?

[cjseliga]

Originally Posted by DaveinMtAiry

Went driving in Frederick for the first time in a while. The project has made great progress in the last few months, you can now exit to Rt. 85 south from 270 North now. But man is it overly complicated. Driving south on 85 it now splits off, to the left is the exit to 270 south, to continue south on 85 you are now required to cross the oncoming traffic on 85 north that is exiting to 270 North that is controlled by a light. Just so weird.

It's a called a partial diverging diamond!

Diverging diamonds have become more and more popular across the US over the last 10 or 15 years.

There was study that showed that DDI (diverging diamond interchange) ramp terminals experienced 55% fewer fatal and injury crashes, 31.4% fewer property damage only crashes, and 37.5% fewer total crashes.

When driving on the left side is safe: Safety of the diverging diamond interchange ramp terminals