Georgia Avenue Project

In 2012, the Maryland State Highway Administration began a a project to improve pedestrian and bicycle connectivity and mobility as well as vehicular operations, for the portion of MD 97 (Georgia Avenue) from MD 390 (16th St) to MD 192 (Forest Glen Rd).

After years of stakeholder input and design work by the State Highway Administration, the project plain is in the final design stage, right of way acquisitions are occurring, and utility relocation has already commenced. Key improvements to the corridor supported by FOMH will include:

A dedicated bicycle lane on the west side of Georgia Avenue, linking the Forest Glen Metro to local neighborhoods and the Woodside Purple Line station.
A median replacing the dangerous “suicide lane” currently used for left and right turns in the middle of Georgia Avenue.
Additional pedestrian crossings and lights.
Constructing sidewalks and ramps compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Removal of the southeast loop ramp at I-495 to eliminate weave movements.
A consolidation of the south and north bound lanes of 16th Street into the current north bound lane right of way, freeing up state property, with a goal of converting the property into a county park.

However, during a July 2023 public meeting presentation, several key design changes since the initial 2018 plan were communicated to the community that led to significant concerns by FOMH and the local neighborhoods. SHA informed us that these changes are designed to reduce the “right of way” acquisition costs and to enhance pedestrian safety.

The current SHA plan for Georgia Avenue improvements can be found described in the July 2023 public meeting presentation here. The full SHA project page can be found here.

FOMH and the civic association presidents wrote a letter on October 7, 2023 expressing concerns about the changes announced in July. That letter is available here.

Subsequently, the SHA has been very responsive to the community’s concerns, and further adjustments have been made that are supported by the community.

In summary, in response to the community concerns regarding some of the design features of the proposed Georgia Ave improvements, SHA re-visited the design and made the following revision:

Added left turn from southbound Georgia Ave onto Seminary Road/Dale Drive to accommodate eastbound vehicular traffic.
Added a slip lane and protected turn signal for vehicles turning east from Georgia Ave onto Seminary/Dale Drive.

When the new improvements are complete, left turns will be permitted 24/7 at this intersection as opposed to being only allowed during non-peak hours as is currently the case.

SHA was unable to accommodate the request to include left turns from northbound Georgia Ave onto Seminary Road or right turns from southbound Georgia Ave onto Seminary Road, thereby retaining the prohibitions on ALL turns from Georgia Ave at this intersection because to accommodate turns across a protected, signalized bike lane, federal requirements would necessitate that SHA acquire a significant amount of additional right-of-way requiring condemnation and acquisition of the Exxon gas stations and the tudor-style retail buildings on the northwest corner. This additional property acquisition would significantly impact the cost-benefit analysis that is necessary for the project and would likely render it ineligible for federal funding. As it is, the ratio of construction costs compared to utility relocation and right-of-way acquisition is out-of-whack with most road re-construction projects, and any additional non-construction costs would make the project unfeasible to federal funding decision makers.

On July 31, 2024, SHA held a public open house to answer community members’ questions about the project. At that meeting, FOMH learned that while the design phase is fully funded, and the SHA had already begun right of way acquisition, utility relocation, and storm drain inspections, at that time there was no funding for the construction phase of the project due to state government capital project shortfalls.

Thankfully, funding for right of way acquisition, engineering, and utility relocation was restored to the project in the Final FY 2025-2030 Consolidated Transportation Program, with no construction funding yet allocated.

And the latest news is that the SHA just announced that construction for the Georgia Avenue Project is fully funded! On Thursday, September 4, 2026, Friends of Montgomery Hills joined state and local leaders for an announcement that the SHA has allocated $50.8 million in construction funds to completely finish the project. This is a pivotal moment for Montgomery Hills. After decades of waiting, the vision of a tree-lined boulevard that connects rather than divides is finally within reach. The work ahead will take time, but the outcome will be worth it: a stronger, safer, more vibrant Montgomery Hills!

Read also our blog post on this announcement, here.

Join us at the 2026 Street Fest, planned for April, 2026, to learn more about the project and our overall mission.