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Maryland highway officials have spent $17 million over the last 15 years on a study to reduce traffic congestion on Interstate 270 and U.S. Route 15, yet officials admit that there is little chance anything will be fixed without more money.

With the state committed to building the Purple Line — a 14-mile mass transit line between Bethesda and New Carrollton — as well as the 14-mile Red Line in Baltimore, no money exists for I-270 improvements that could cost $4.3 billion to $4.7 billion.

"Our goal is to try and bring this to a conclusion, rather than study it forever," said Jack Cahalan, spokesman with the Maryland Department of Transportation. "But nothing is going to happen overnight. Everybody has to be working together to identify funding from a variety of funding sources."

The plan, known as the Multi-Modal Corridor Study, calls for improvements on a 28-mile stretch of highway from Biggs Ford Road in Frederick County to Shady Grove Road in Montgomery County.

Since 1994, a team of highway experts has been looking at options to relieve congestion and improve safety conditions.

For 15 years, officials have held open houses and public hearings allowing motorists to weigh in. Residents have come out asking the state for help from the daily commute that they have said can be stressful, frustrating and, at times, dangerous.

The most recent event, June 18 at Monocacy Middle School in Frederick County, allowed residents to view the latest options for improvements.

State officials took comments from the public through July 31.

Maryland's acting transportation secretary, Beverley Swaim-Staley, then issued a press release in which she wrote that due to the high cost of the project, any improvements to the highway would be done in increments over many years.

"While we are financially constrained today given the current economic environment, it is important to continue to plan for tomorrow," Swaim-Staley said in the release. "This study details a menu of options that could be at the state's disposal to address transportation and congestion challenges as they present themselves. It is not intended to provide one ‘silver bullet' solution. Rather, the study is intended to provide a variety of tools, any one of which could potentially be used in the future to meet the needs of the region."

Because of the extensive amount of construction and high costs, state officials may decide to put any available money toward a different road project, Swaim-Staley wrote.

Cahalan said in an interview this week that they do expect to unveil the chosen improvement options for the interstate sometime this fall. "We'll end up this fall with a locally preferred alternative," he said.

Cahalan also defended the time and cost of the study.

"Certainly, the study process is an expensive process," he said. "But if we don't conduct it, we're not able to determine the needs."

The $17 million price tag includes the salaries of the state highway planners and any consultants brought in on contract to assist with the study, Cahalan said.

He also contended the lengthy study is necessary, so that when money becomes available the state is ready to move forward with construction. "You can't win without getting into the game," he said.

Cahalan said the years of study is normal and follow the same pattern as other highway projects the state under takes.

But the I-270, Route 15 corridor is more than just a highway moving vehicles from Frederick County to the metropolitan area. It is one of the most congested highways in the state.

It is also an economic corridor with industry and businesses located on both sides of the highway and improvements would benefit the high-tech corridor.

"Any traffic improvements are helpful to business and industry," said Laurie Boyer, executive director with the Frederick County Office of Economic Development. "It makes for a better and easier movement of goods."

But Boyer cautions that more needs to be done to the highway than just expanding the lanes. Boyer believes that transit and bus service is needed.

"Certainly a lot of employees rely on transit to get to work," she said. "This is not just about throwing pavement down."

One option under study for the highway includes the decades-old "Corridor Cities Transitway plan" – a light rail or bus system along I-270, proposed to run from the Shady Grove Metro station to a station in Clarksburg. Because of the topography, the system is not slated to run into Frederick County.

The cost for the transitway ranges from $450 million to $777 million.

Nothing will come soon. "All things are under study," Cahalan said.

E-mail Sherry Greenfield at sgreenfield@gazette.net.