Ulman and O’Malley Administration Announce Safety Changes to MD Route 32 ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Ken Ulman and Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley announced today that immediate safety improvements will be made to MD Route 32, north of I-70 in Howard County. Two recent fatal crashes in the area have highlighted the need for immediate action to address the safety concerns of the community. “I appreciate the O’Malley Administration’s quick response to our concerns,” said Executive Ulman. “While we can’t undo the terrible tragedies that have occurred in the past, the planned improvements will make the road safer and lessen the future risk to drivers on this busy highway.” “The recent fatalities in two different crashes are terrible tragedies. Our hearts go out to the families and friends of those lost,” said SHA Administrator Neil J. Pedersen. “SHA met with the community and their biggest concern was related to making left-turns into the communities with fast-moving traffic coming from behind. We are able to make some short-term and longer term modifications that should increase driver awareness and slow traffic, hopefully preventing similar accidents.” Effective immediately, the State Highway Administration (SHA) will begin implementation of the following measures:

• Install three oversized warning signs facing both the north and southbound traffic on MD Route 32 between MD Route 99 and the Carroll County line; the signs will display this message, “Pay Attention—Watch for Left Turning Traffic”
• Install intersection warning signs (symbol signs showing left turn), with street names for River Road, Amberwoods Way and Day Road
• Install rumble strips in the travel lane (northbound and southbound on MD-Route 32) approximately 500 ft. prior to River Road, Amberwoods Way and Day Road
• Close passing zones and replace with a solid centerline near River Road, Amberwoods Way and Day Road
• Deploy speed trailers to this area; one trailer in each direction, showing oncoming traffic how fast it is traveling

• Construct a pavement overlay and re-stripe MD Route 32 at River Road, Amberwoods Way and Day Road; this will provide separate left-turn lanes at each of these intersections
• In order to improve the visibility for the driver of the location of the travel lanes and to reduce vehicle speeds, the centerline and edge line markings will be increased to 10 inches in line width; this change will begin at MD Route 99 and continue to the Howard County Line
• SHA will continue to collect traffic data and evaluate potential traffic safety enhancements for other intersections within the corridor