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 LAUREL, MD. — Maryland Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown, U.S. Deputy Transportation Secretary John D. Porcari, Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III, Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett and Members of the Congressional and State delegations led a contingent of federal, state, and local officials in opening the next 10-mile segment of Maryland’s Intercounty Connector (ICC)/MD 200 by cutting a ceremonial ribbon and taking a test drive on the first portion of the roadway to extend into Prince George’s County. The ICC/MD 200 is an east-west electronically tolled highway connecting Montgomery and Prince George’s counties that has been in the making for more than half a century.

“After five decades of debate and discussion, we are now celebrating the opening of a state-of-the-art roadway that connects the I-270 high tech corridor and the I-95 business corridor,” said Lt. Governor Brown. “Not only did the ICC create thousands of jobs during construction, it will now help to stimulate business growth and economic development along the entire corridor.”

“To create jobs, a modern economy requires modern investments,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “The completion of this next section of the ICC has created much-needed jobs for our hardworking families and will help reduce congestion in our State while connecting citizens to jobs and economic opportunities from I-270 to I-95. Together, working with our federal, state and local partners, we have made a critical investment in our State’s infrastructure that will continue to promote economic growth in our region and secure the future of transit in Maryland.”

The first segment of the ICC, which connects I-270/I-370 and MD 97 (Georgia Avenue) in Rockville/Olney, opened to traffic in February. The new section extends the ICC from MD 97 to Interstate 95 near Laurel.

“The ICC serves as a vital connection between Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, giving people living and commuting through these counties better access to jobs and business opportunities,” U.S. Deputy Transportation Secretary Porcari said.

As a major economic catalyst, the $2.5 billion ICC project created 4,500 jobs, involving more than 200 contractors during its construction, with $330 million designated specifically for Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE). An independent study by the University of Maryland projected that the ICC, when fully open, will support the development of up to 14,000 jobs in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties. The same study also found the ICC will save Maryland drivers and businesses an estimated $6.7 billion over the next 20 years in time, fuel and wear-and-tear on vehicles.

“Investments in construction and transportation projects are the best way for government to help create jobs and jumpstart economic recovery in our State,” said Speaker Michael E. Busch. “I am pleased that we were able to complete this important project in the Washington suburbs: relieving traffic congestion, supporting local companies that do business in the area, and adding an important arm to our transportation network.”

Studies have shown that trip times can be reduced by up to 70 percent by using the ICC. For example, traveling from the Shady Grove Metro Station to Georgia Avenue on the existing local road network takes approximately 22 minutes, compared to just 7 minutes on the ICC. Similarly, travel between Gaithersburg and BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport takes approximately 71 minutes on local roads, compared to only 37 minutes using the ICC, a total time savings of nearly 50 percent.

A final segment of the ICC from I-95 eastbound to US 1 is tentatively scheduled to open in spring 2014.

The ICC is the “greenest” highway in Maryland’s history, and one of the “greenest” ever built in the nation. More than 15 percent of the project’s budget — $370 million — is devoted to mitigating environmental impacts. Going beyond federal mitigation requirements, construction has included miles of stream restorations, hundreds of acres of new wetlands and forest habitat, longer bridges over sensitive streams, innovative stormwater improvements, state-of-the-art construction techniques to limit the road’s footprint, and 26 wildlife passages.

The ICC is a variably priced toll facility to help manage congestion and deliver reliable travel times. All-electronic tolling helps to maintain free-flowing traffic conditions and improve air quality by eliminating stop-and-go traffic at toll plazas. Tolls are collected at highway speeds using E-ZPass and video tolling. When opened to I-95, the ICC per-mile toll rates remain the same as rates charged today. The Video Toll Rate (VTR) is 150 percent of the applicable E-ZPass toll rate, with a minimum video toll charge of $1/maximum of $15 above the E-ZPass rate.