Maryland allocated $11.9 million to improve the security of the U.S. 50

The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration awarded a $11.9 million grant to develop new technologies to reduce traffic congestion in the U.S. 50 (Ocean Gateway) on the east coast of Maryland.

The grant enabled the department to deploy advanced software, sensors, traffic cameras, and signage across 113 miles of U.S. 50.

The state is seeing significant seasonal and holiday traffic, and the impact of these new technologies will be felt during these peak hours, according to Maryland highway officials. Weather, work area activity, accidents, disabled vehicles, and traffic jams also contribute to traffic delays on the U.S. 50.

The state highways administration expects that once deployed, the new technology will save drivers along the corridor nearly 2.5 million hours.

«Hardware and software will monitor traffic queues in real time, predict flow, and adapt signal times to help provide gaps while allowing local traffic on side streets to enter and exit the U.S. 50 is safer and more efficient,» the press release notes.

«New technologies provide us with new tools to monitor, predict and respond to traffic congestion and safety concerns,» said Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld. «This will benefit the residents of our East Coast communities and the millions who visit this beautiful part of the state every year.»

The grant was announced by the Federal Highway Administration on May 25 and is part of the State Highway Administration’s Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic (ROUTE) project in the U.S. 50, which is designed to address disparities in rural transport infrastructure through the use of advanced technologies.

The grant also supports the State Highway Administration by placing warning and information signs and additional real-time traffic cameras along the corridor.

Installation is expected to begin in late 2026.