Maryland State Highway Administration

Maryland State Highway Administration
Agency overview
Formed 1908 (1908)
Jurisdiction Maryland
Headquarters "707 Building", 707 North Calvert Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Agency executive
  • Gregory I. Slater, Administrator
Parent agency Maryland Department of Transportation
Website http://www.roads.maryland.gov/Home.aspx
Agency Headquarters in Baltimore

The Maryland State Highway Administration (abbreviated MDSHA, MSHA, or simply SHA) is the state sub-agency responsible for maintaining Maryland's numbered highways[1] outside of Baltimore City.[2] Formed originally under authority of the General Assembly of Maryland in 1908 as the State Roads Commission (S.R.C.), under the direction of the executive branch of state government headed by the Governor of Maryland,[3] it is tasked with maintaining non-tolled/free bridges throughout the State, removing snow from the state's major thoroughfares, administering the State's "adopt-a-highway" program, and both developing and maintaining the State's freeway/expressway system. Since the reorganization of the several commissions, bureaus, boards, and assorted minor agencies with departments of the executive branch and establishment of the Governor's Cabinet in the early 1970s following the adoption of several individual reorganization recommendations after the rejection by the voters in a November 1968 referendum of the 1968 proposed overall new state constitution prepared by the 1967-1968 Constitutional Convention. It is now a division of the larger establishment of the Maryland Department of Transportation and is currently overseen by an administrator.[4][5]

The headquarters for MSHA is located in Baltimore City. This building houses numerous divisions and offices, such as:

Signal testing at the Office of Traffic and Safety
MDSHA sign shop

MSHA also maintains four research labs located throughout the State, as well as the Office of Traffic and Safety (OOTS) located in Hanover—which houses several additional divisions. Some other services provided at the OOTS complex include:

While OOTS and the Districts oversee the installation, modification, operation, maintenance, and removal of traffic signals along State roadways, Montgomery County differs in that it is responsible for the operation and maintenance of all signals within the County—even those along State roadways. However, the Districts and OOTS still control decisions regarding the installation, modification (including phasing), and removal of signals. A result of this agreement is that it relieves MdSHA of some of the additional resource cost of the regular duties with regards to signals.

Districts

MDSHA sign sticker.

There are seven districts in the State. These districts at the least, have divisions for traffic, construction, maintenance, and utilities. Each district also oversees several maintenance shops—typically one per county. The following is a table of the districts, counties within their jurisdiction, and their respective headquarters.[8]

DistrictCountiesHeadquarters
1 Wicomico County

Worcester County
Somerset County
Dorchester County

Salisbury
2 Cecil County

Kent County
Queen Anne's County
Talbot County
Caroline County

Chestertown
3 Montgomery County

Prince George's County

Greenbelt
4 Baltimore County

Harford County

Cockeysville
5 Anne Arundel County

Calvert County
Charles County
Saint Mary's County

Annapolis
6 Washington County

Allegany County
Garrett County

La Vale
7 Frederick County

Howard County
Carroll County

Frederick

See also

References

  1. Annotated Code of Maryland, Transportation Article, §8-601
  2. Official website of Baltimore City
  3. Maryland Highway Centennial
  4. "Maryland Manual On-Line". Maryland State Archives. Retrieved 2007-04-03.
  5. "Maryland Manual On-Line". Maryland State Archives. Retrieved 2007-04-03.
  6. http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/24dot/html/24agen.html#chartoffice
  7. http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/24dot/html/24agen.html#traffic
  8. "State Highway Administration - District Reference Chart" (PDF). Maryland State Highway Administration. 2006-02-23. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 30, 2003. Retrieved 2007-04-03.
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