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Open Road: Drivers Take To Intercounty Connector

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The ICC opened to commuters early Wednesday morning.
Jessica Jordan
The ICC opened to commuters early Wednesday morning.

Drivers have a chance Wednesday to take the new road connecting the I-270 corridor to Norbeck Road near Georgia Avenue. Hundreds of drivers every hour are hopping on to the newly opened first stretch of the Intercounty Connector.

"The length of the project is some 50 years if you go back to the original planning days so yeah I think people are very excited about the opening," says Harold Bartlett with the Maryland Transportation Authority.

The seven-mile segment of toll road ends at MD 28/Norbeck Road. There, crews have installed a temporary traffic signal to relieve congestion from vehicles exiting the ICC. That light will be removed when the full ICC opens late this year or early next year.

The ICC will be a toll road, but there's no charge through March 6. After that, drivers will need to get an E-ZPass transponder since there won't be toll booths.

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