HAGERSTOWN, Md. — A Washington County coalition plans to seek approximately $10 million in state funding for safety improvements at the Interstate 81 interchange with U.S. Route 40, where six traffic fatalities have occurred since 2021, according to coalition officials.
Jim Kercheval, executive director of the Greater Hagerstown Committee, outlined the proposal Tuesday during the coalition’s annual presentation to the Washington County Board of Commissioners. The improvements would extend an entrance lane at the interchange while the coalition continues pushing for a broader widening of I-81.
The proposal would provide a potentially quicker safety improvement while the county continues pressing Maryland to fund a larger widening project along the interstate.
Kercheval outlined the proposal on the Community Coalition’s legislative priorities for 2027. He said the Route 40 interchange has accounted for more than half the fatalities along the affected stretch of I-81 since 2021.
Similar improvements have already been made at the Showalter Road and Maugans Avenue interchanges, where the state extended traffic lanes to address safety concerns. Those projects cost approximately $10 million each, Kercheval said.
The proposed Route 40 improvements could be incorporated into the eventual widening of I-81, avoiding the need to remove the work when the larger project moves forward.
Continued emphasis on I-81 widening
The Community Coalition, which brings together local government and business organizations to advocate for state funding, plans to make I-81 its top transportation priority during the 2027 legislative session.
Work on the interstate’s second phase is expected to begin this spring, with another section scheduled to go out for bids next year and begin construction in spring 2028. The overall second phase could be completed around 2031, according to Kercheval.
However, the coalition was unsuccessful this year in securing design and construction funding for the third and fourth phases of the widening project.
Kercheval said the coalition will renew its request for design funding while pursuing the more limited Route 40 interchange improvements.
The coalition is also concerned about proposed changes to Maryland’s transportation funding formula, which Kercheval warned could disadvantage rural highways such as I-81 when the state ranks projects for funding.
He said coalition representatives have been discussing the issue with state transportation officials and lawmakers.
Funding for other projects
The coalition reported helping secure nearly $4 million for local capital projects during the most recent legislative session, along with $9 million for the Senator George C. Edwards Fund, which supports projects in Western Maryland.
Other priorities for 2027 include construction funding for a new air traffic control tower at Hagerstown Regional Airport and $2.5 million in state assistance toward a $5 million public safety training building.
The coalition expects to finalize its legislative agenda Oct. 21.
