State presses Potomac Edison on utility work for U.S. 15 widening
Maryland highway officials warn that utility relocation is critical to the construction schedule. FirstEnergy says its engineering work aligns with the project timeline.
HERE'S WHAT WE KNOW
The widening plan covers U.S. 15 from Interstate 70 to Md. 26 and would add a lane in each direction. SHA has requested a firm utility relocation schedule. FirstEnergy says its projected engineering completion aligns with the project schedule. A project open house is scheduled for Oct. 15, from 5 to 7 p.m., at Gov. Thomas Johnson Middle School.
The next steps toward widening U.S. 15 through Frederick depend on moving utility lines and poles, and Maryland highway officials are pressing Potomac Edison for a firm schedule.
The Frederick News-Post reports that a Sept. 18 letter from State Highway Administration District 7 engineer Andrew Radcliffe to FirstEnergy, Potomac Edison’s parent company, warned that further delays in utility design, permitting and removal would affect the start of highway construction.
The project would add one lane in each direction between Interstate 70 and Md. 26, along with other improvements, along roughly three miles of the highway.
Utility relocation must happen in stages. After Potomac Edison moves its facilities, other utilities attached to its poles can transfer their equipment. The old poles can then be removed to clear the way for widening work.
According to the letter described by the News-Post, highway design work reached a required threshold in March, but Potomac Edison sought a full imaging review of its overhead infrastructure before reviewing the plans. SHA said it expedited that work and had not seen substantial progress.
FirstEnergy offered a different assessment of the schedule. Spokeswoman Lisa Chamberlin Stump told the newspaper Tuesday that engineers had completed an initial assessment and identified electric utility crossings affected by the project.
She said the company received drawings and related information for proposed walls and barriers from SHA on Sept. 11. The projected completion of engineering design had been discussed with SHA and was in line with the project schedule, she said.
SHA’s letter sought a firm relocation schedule and coordination to allow the later construction work to begin in October 2027. That remains a target, rather than a guaranteed start date.
County Executive Jessica Fitzwater, Frederick Mayor Michael O’Connor and state Sen. Bill Folden recently emphasized the importance of keeping the project moving, according to the News-Post. The newspaper cited SHA figures showing average daily traffic of 98,450 vehicles on the corridor.
The Maryland Department of Transportation is scheduled to hold a project open house Oct. 15 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Gov. Thomas Johnson Middle School, according to the report.
WHAT IT MEANS
For drivers who regularly use U.S. 15, utility relocation is a necessary step before the planned additional lanes can be built. The state’s warning identifies a schedule risk, while FirstEnergy’s response says its engineering timeline remains aligned. The supplied reporting does not establish that the October 2027 construction target has already been missed or formally changed.
Original reporting referenced by Everything Frederick:
The Frederick News-Post — Reporting by Ryan Marshall. Adapted from the supplied article. →Want more Frederick updates like this?
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