SHA says that stretch of the highway will be undergoing some repairs.
The exit ramp for Route 66 (Mapleville Road) along Interstate 70 in Washington County will be closing for ten weeks. The Maryland State Highway Administration says the closure will begin on Monday, June 6th at 7:00 AM.
Spokesman Charlie Gischlar says the ramp, which also crosses over Beaver Creek, will undergo extensive renovations. “Almost 70,000 vehicle a day, more than that, go through that stretch of I-70,” he says. “Some of that’s going to be truck traffic. So over time, things do have a shelf life. We do need to get in there and do some pretty extensive renovations.”
“Some of the beams will have to be replaced. Also the concrete bridge deck, which is just a riding surface,” says Gischlar. “Just normal concrete repairs here and there, and also paint the steel. Of course, also pave the roadway. We’re going to pretty much have a brand new bridge there.”
In the meantime, motorists will be detoured to eastbound US Route 40 to Route 66. “Then there’s also going to be modifying by adding a left turn lane from eastbound US 40 to northbound 66,” he says.
The project is expected to be completed by late summer, weather permitting, says the SHA.
The bridge was built in 1967, and is safe for the traveling public. But Gischlar says the roadway is nearing the end of its useful life and needs to be replaced.
The $1.8-million contract to repair the bridge was awarded to East Coast Bridge, LLC. of Nitro, West Virginia.