The federal government will cover 80 percent of the cost to improve the interchange at U.S. 40 and Maryland Route 715. The first phase of the project is slated to be finished in 2011, in time for the Pentagon’s Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) September 2011 deadline. The entire project won’t be completed until summer 2012.

“All agree that improving the interchange in Harford County is a top priority as we prepare for the thousands of BRAC jobs coming to Aberdeen,” O’Malley said in a statement. “Thanks to the hard work of all the federal and local BRAC partners, we are now moving forward on the first project to keep traffic moving near Aberdeen Proving Ground.”

The state will also contribute about $8.5 million. The project will include upgrades to the intersection, improvements to Maryland 715 at Old Philadelphia Road, and the widening of Route 715 from two lanes in each direction to three. O’Malley, in prepared remarks in Annapolis Friday morning in Annapolis, credited Maryland’s congressional delegation for lining up the $34 million in federal funds to support the project.

“We have a top-notch work force in Maryland that deserves a top-notch transportation system,” U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said in a statement.

Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Md., said the base realignment plan is a significant economic development opportunity for Maryland. But Ruppersberger said the state and federal governments have an obligation to prepare for that growth to minimize the impact on state residents.

“BRAC presents a tremendous opportunity for Maryland, including tens of thousands of new jobs that will help get our economy back on track,” Ruppersberger said in a statement. “But as we prepare to welcome new families into our community, we must make sure we preserve the great quality of life that our existing residents enjoy.”