SHA says it’s nearing the end of its useful life.
The bridge which carries Route 15 over Route 26 north of Frederick will be replaced. The Maryland State Highway Administration says the current span is 59-years old, and has outlived its useful life.
Part of the work will include the replacement of the deck. “That’s the driving surface,” says SHA spokesman Charlie Gischlar. “This is a complete replacement project so we’re going to be replacing everything from the ground up.”
The work on the $5.8-million project, which will be done by Flippo Construction, Inc., of Forestsville, is expected to begin on Tuesday, July 5th, and be completed by the summer of 2017, weather permitting, according to SHA.
Gischlar says motorists will be allowed to use that stretch of Route 15 while construction is going on, but the lanes may be shifted and narrowed. “We’ll demolished one half of the bridge, build it back up again. Shift traffic to the newly built bridge, and do the same thing on the other side, and it will be finished after that,” he says.
Motorists who travel that area of Route 15 while construction is underway are urged to take it slow. “There’s going to be lane shifts; there’s going to be some narrowed traveled lanes, maybe some lane closures during some of the overnight hours as we’re putting the final touches on it,” says Gischlar. “If you give yourself some time and go a little slower over that bridge, everything will be fine.”