Maryland residents deserve transparency on the Beltway project

The Nov. 23 Metro article “Judge closes hearing on state’s I-270, Beltway toll-lane project” reported a clear case of judicial overreach that denies citizens and taxpayers critical information about a massive infrastructure project, the cost of which they will be saddled with for decades to come. Circuit Court Judge Kevin G. Hessler ruled that keeping the proprietary interests of competing for-profit bidders secret was more important than the rights of Marylanders to know the financial mechanisms and methodologies these same companies deployed to project future traffic congestion, environmental degradation and remedial costs, or if any were budgeted.