Intercounty Connector, Contract A, Design-Build

Location: MD Washington, D.C. Beltway (I-495) to Route 29 in Gainesville, VA

Owner: Maryland Department of Transportation

The Intercounty Connector (ICC) or Route 200 is an approximately 18-mile long, six-lane, divided toll highway that connects I-370 in eastern Montgomery County to US 1 in northwestern Prince George’s County, Maryland. The highway provides a safer and faster alternative to the crowded local roads. Qamar Kazmi, PE, F.ASCE, served as the Lead Geotechnical Engineer for the geotechnical investigation for the 7-mile-long section of the highway from I-370 to Route 97 (Georgia Avenue). The project includes two interchanges; 18 new and existing bridges, including a 600-ft long cut-and-cover section; and more than five miles of mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls. Over 900 borings were drilled for the project. Pressuremeter testing and acoustical televiewer logging were also performed. Bridge foundations include spread footings on rock for a signature arch bridge over Rock Creek, as well as deep foundations comprising driven steel H-piles and drilled shafts. The project required approximately 70 reports within the 14-month design period. (Estimated construction cost: $600 million)