Route 4 - Where are you State Highway

BACKGROUND: For the past year, State Highway installed what appears to be water run-off, retention, or some form of water related devices within the median strips along Route 4 from the Patuxent River in Anne Arundel County south into Calvert County.

DISCUSSION: Today, citizens from both Calvert and Anne Arundel Counties were inconvenienced driving northbound as back-ups caused by water on Route 4 closed down all northbound lanes except for the right shoulder. Some reports included over 2 hour delays getting to work. The rain storms experienced this week brought about the situation. However, it would be helpful for State Highway engineering/environmental organizations to address the cause and solution to today’s traffic problems that appeared actually caused by the water retention devices.

DESCRIPTION: At about 6:15 a.m. this morning, I observed from the northbound lane a river whose level was elevated, but had not overflowed the river banks. The water on the road surface instead of coming directly from the river over its bank came from the median strip. An on-site road crew member was pumping the water over the right shoulder back towards the river (in what appeared to be as useful as taking water from the deep end of a pool and putting into the shallow end). Reportedly, this bailing activity began as early as about 4 a.m. making no progress. By about 1 p.m., I observed bailing activity (two pumps) pushing water onto the southbound lanes of Route 4 sending water back towards the river south of the incident.

ISSUE: At issue is the source of the overflow onto the highway being from the median strip vice overflow from the river banks. It would appear that the previously installed water retention type devices may have a drain intended to send water into the river. However, the rising elevation of the river caused a backup to these devices causing needless flooding and much inconvenience.