The Maryland Transportation Authority will issue a bid this spring for the redevelopment and operations of the aging Maryland House and Chesapeake Travel Plazas.
The redevelopment is expected to occur via a public-private partnership. An outside firm would incur the costs to design and rebuild the travel plazas in Harford and Cecil Counties in exchange for a long-term contract to manage them, transportation spokeswoman Kelly Melham says.
The agency doesn't have an exact date for issuing the bid, but has given notice to the Maryland legislature that it intends to do so, Melham says.
HMSHost Corp. of Bethesda currently operates the retail and food service in the travel plazas.
The transportation agency had originally been scheduled to issue a bid in the fall, but canceled the plans after repeated revisions to the plan and several extensions to the deadline.
The Maryland House Travel Plaza in Aberdeen dates to 1963. The
Chesapeake House Travel Plaza in North East opened in 1975.
Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Kelly Melham, Maryland Transportation Authority