Maryland’s director on a controversial state plan to widen the Capital Beltway and Interstate 270 retired Dec. 31, in the middle of one of the largest procurements in state history.
The Maryland Department of Transportation confirmed Lisa B. Choplin’s retirement but declined to comment on the timing, one week after companies on Dec. 23 had submitted the first part of their highway widening proposals. The second parts are due Jan. 8.
The expansion plan is one of Gov. Larry Hogan’s signature infrastructure projects. Hogan (R) has said teams of companies will build and operate toll lanes on both highways, and rebuild the free general purpose lanes, at no net cost to the state, in exchange for keeping most of the toll revenue over 50 years.
With contracts valued at $9 billion to $11 billion, it would be one of the largest public-private partnerships ever in the United States.
Click here to read the rest of the article written by Katherine Shaver over at The Washington Post
