Pepco Holdings (PHI) has proposed the Choptank Route through Dorchester County, Maryland, for the Mid-Atlantic Power Pathway (MAPP) project.
MAPP, a proposed high-voltage transmission line, will run from northern Virginia across southern Maryland, under the Chesapeake Bay through Dorchester and Wicomico counties in Maryland, and end near Millsboro, Del.
Under the proposed route, the Dorchester County portion of the line will follow the Choptank River underwater and make landfall east of Cambridge, Maryland. The line will run underground until reaching a point southeast of Route 16. It will then transition to above ground northeast of Route 50 before crossing over the Nanticoke River near Vienna.
For the land portion of the route through Dorchester County, the company has acquired the majority of the necessary rights-of-way to construct the line.
Bob Jubic, project manager of MAPP, said: “We’ve spent a great deal of time listening to the citizens of Dorchester County. With input from landowners, residents, environmental groups and government officials, we believe that the Choptank Route is the best choice as it minimizes the impact on the environment, agriculture and culturally significant areas in the county.”
The project, including the route, requires approvals from federal and state agencies, including the Maryland Public Service Commission. PHI’s selection of a proposed route is said to be a necessary step in the formal agency review and approval process.