Intersection Improvements Move Forward Regardless Of CVS

Improvements to one Carney-area intersection will move forward regardless of whether or not the development of a CVS/pharmacy slated for the southwest corner of Harford and Joppa Roads comes to fruition.

David Buck, a spokesman for the State Highway Administration, said that an intersection improvement project to "improve the flow of traffic through what is, it goes without saying, an extremely congested intersection," is underway.

Currently the SHA is in a design and engineering phase, which Buck said is expected to be complete by the end of 2014.

"We're not far enough along in the process to define exactly what those improvements would be," Buck said, but explained that they could include a through lane on southbound Harford Road and a free right turn lane from Joppa Road onto southbound Harford Road. 

Construction could begin as soon as early- to mid-2015 but, he said, the construction phase of the project has not yet been funded, Buck said.

Both state and county funds would be used to pay for improvements to the intersection of State Highways-controlled Harford Road and Joppa Road, which falls under the purview of Baltimore County.

"It's not unusual at all for the project not to have allocated funds for construction yet," Buck said.

Whether or not Pennsylvania-based developer JC Bar contributes financially to the project as a result of their project to build a CVS/pharmacy on the southwestern corner of the intersection will have no impact on whether the state moves forward with the project.

Buck explained that as a part of the development process a developer would have to submit a traffic study and then help to pay for improvements based upon whatever impact the development might have.

JC Bar successfully petitioned to have the zoning changed on the corner lot during last year's Comprehensive Zoning Map Process. Utility lines running through the property may prevent the developer from moving forward with its plans.

The cost of relocating utilities located under and around the property would fall on the developer.

A call to JC Bar seeking comment as to whether or not the CVS project would move forward was returned by CVS spokesman Mike DeAngelos.

"We are still planning on opening a store at that location and we're working on the various site issues on the property; that includes utilities and a plan to widen the roads," DeAngelos said.

Councilman David Marks, who represents the 5th District where both the proposed development and intersection are located, said that "CVS is not a certainty" on the lot.

"It could happen, it may not happen," Marks said.

Either way, he said, improvements to the intersection will take place though the intersection could look different based on whether or not the drug store is built.

"The reason [the project] is advancing is that the prospect of the private sector helping with the intersection was enough to get decision-makers to commit to the project," Marks said. "The whole idea behind the CVS is that [the developer] would reduce the cost of building the intersection."

Faced with that prospect, Marks said, the county and state agreed to take the project on.

"This has been one of my top priorities in the 5th District," Marks said. "I'm glad that it's advancing."