Road building is an ancient art. Soon after the invention of the wheel, routes for trade and travel were built. The Romans were the world's first great road builders.

Maryland has played a distinguished role in the story of American road building and remains one of the nation's leaders in highway design, construction and maintenance. Some of the most historic highways in America originate in Maryland, including the National Road, which ran from Cumberland to Ohio and was authorized in 1806. The National Road was the new nation's chief route west for many years and existing as U.S. 40 today, remains a principal east-west artery.

Today, SHA is responsible for more than 16,000 lane miles of interstate, primary and secondary roads and more than 2,500 bridges. SHA employees plan, design, build and maintain these roads and bridges to the highest safety and performance standards possible while paying close attention to sociological, environmental, ecological and economic concerns.

As part of the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), SHA is one of the most visible arms of state government. Whether clearing snow in the winter or making it easier for vacationers to reach the beach in the summer, SHA is the agency Marylanders depend on to keep them moving.

Financing for all state transportation projects, including highway construction and maintenance, is provided by the Transportation Trust Fund. This unique funding method pools all transportation revenues into one common fund. All motor fuel taxes and other user fees, as well as bond proceeds and federal aid, go into the fund. Each time you buy gasoline, register your automobile or renew your driver's license, you are helping to make Maryland's roads among the best in the nation.

SHA employs 3,200 people at our Baltimore headquarters, Hanover complex, and seven districts throughout the state. The Baltimore headquarters includes the offices of Construction, Environmental Design, Chief Engineer, Equal Opportunity, Communications, Highway Policy and Technology Utilization, Planning and Preliminary Engineering, Highway Design and Development and Bridge Development as well as the offices of Real Estate, Finance and Information Technology, Legal Counsel and Administration. The Hanover complex includes the offices of Maintenance and Traffic and Safety as well as the Statewide Operations Center.

Our seven district offices handle most of the day-to-day responsibilities of constructing and maintaining highways in Maryland's 23 counties, while the Office of Traffic and Safety (OOTS) installs and maintains all SHA signal systems. Roadway signs are manufactured by OOTS, but the majority of sign maintenance occurs at the district level. Similarly, the Materials and Technology Lab in Brooklandville tests and investigates construction and maintenance materials, assisted by four regional labs throughout the state. Each division of the organization works closely with the others to achieve the highest standards possible.