It’s expected to be completed by late 2020.
Clarksburg, Md (KM) Work is expected to begin soon on improvements to the intersection at Route 355 at West Old Baltimore Road. Maryland State Highway Administration spokesman Charlie Gischlar says crews will realign that intersection to improve site distance for motorists and bicyclists. “The skew on that intersection is a little off. It’s more of an acute angle instead more of an 90-degree angle at the intersection,” he says.
Other work includes widening that area of Route 355, providing a left turn lane from the highway, along with acceleration and deceleration lanes on southbound Route 355, and a left turn lane on West Baltimore Road with Route 355. There will also be the reconstruction of the traffic signal at that intersection to include the turn lane, milling and resurfacing the existing roadways, installing new pavement markings, relocating a 24-inch water main and replacing a drainage culvert. “Making sure with the drainage improvements, that standing water is not an issue and that we can get people through that intersection safely and conveniently,” says Gischlar.
The work is expected to be completed by late 2020, according to Gischlar, at a cost of $9-million.
He says the work will take place Monday through Friday, between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM, and from 7:00 PM to 6:00 AM from Sunday nights through Friday mornings. “The daytime work between 9 and 3 Mondays through Fridays is going to do things where we don’t have truly to block a lot of lanes. In fact, we might be doing a lot of this work behind concrete barrier,” says Gsichlar. “And when it comes to paving, where we have to literally take lanes, we’ll shift that to night work. That way we’re not inconveniencing people in the area. And that will be between 7:00 PM and 6:00 AM at the latest.”
SHA says about 18,000 vehicles travel that stretch of Route 355 each day. Gischlar says drivers who usually take that way on a regular basis should slow down when approaching construction areas.
The contractor for this projects is Rustler Construction of Upper Marlboro.
By Kevin McManus