ANNAPOLIS — Gov. Larry Hogan will announce plans to spend nearly $2 billion on roads, highways and bridges throughout the state of Maryland, a state senator who has been informed of the announcement said Thursday.
Of that, that $1.35 billion will be for new projects, Sen. J.B. Jennings, R-Harford County, said. About $625 million will be announced for projects that already have been lined up.
“I think it’s definitely needed, especially with regards to the maintenance of our infrastructure,” Jennings said.
A senior Hogan administration official confirmed the details. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak ahead of the announcement Thursday afternoon.
The announcement reflects the Republican governor’s plans to bring greater focus on roads and bridges.
About $845 million will go toward major projects, such as road widening or traffic management tools. About $500 million will be used to fix bridges and improve roads.
The plan calls for investing in projects in every county, using available state funding.
Officials declined to comment about what Hogan had decided to do about two light rail projects. Hogan has said he would make an announcement this month about whether to move forward with the proposed Purple Line, a 16-mile light rail in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. The Purple Line is estimated to cost about $2.45 billion. The Red Line is another proposed light rail project. It is estimated to cost roughly $2.64 billion. The 14.1-mile, east-west light rail would connect Woodlawn in Baltimore County with downtown Baltimore.
Hogan has scheduled a 2:30 p.m. news conference in Annapolis to make the transportation infrastructure announcement. It will be his first public appearance since he announced Monday that he has been diagnosed with cancer.
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