Temporary Road Will Allow Crews To Begin Major Interchange Work Along Rockville Pike At Montrose Parkway/Randolph Road          
          
(November 13, 2008) – This weekend, the Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration (SHA) will shift existing Rockville Pike (MD 355) at Randolph/Montrose Road to begin the final phase of the MD 355/Montrose Parkway/Randolph Road project in Montgomery County. On or about Saturday, November 15, northbound MD 355 traffic will be shifted to the temporary detour road and Thursday, November 20 for southbound MD 355 traffic to be shifted. All six lanes of traffic will be available for traffic on the detour road. During the week of the traffic shift, motorists who travel along East Jefferson Street will be detoured to Executive Boulevard and back to northbound MD 355.          
          
SHA will use police, variable message signs, barrels and cones to guide motorists through the work zone during the traffic shift. The southbound MD 355 traffic switch will require crews to do extra work on the southbound lanes between 9 a.m. Wednesday, November 19 through 6 a.m. Thursday, November 20. The interchange project is expected to be complete by late-fall 2010, weather permitting. SHA’s contractor for the project is Concrete General, Inc. of Gaithersburg.           
          
The $47.2 million interchange project will relocate existing Randolph Road slightly south to align with the recently completed Montrose Parkway and the construction of the new interchange along Rockville Pike at Montrose Parkway. Upon completion, the newly constructed Rockville Pike will have six lanes, and the new relocated Montrose/Randolph Road will carry two lanes in each direction. The construction is necessary to improve safety and traffic flow at the busy Rockville intersection.          
          
Customers who have questions about MD 355 or any other State numbered roadway in Montgomery County should call SHA’s District 3 office at 1-800-749-0737. SHA encourages all motorists to drive responsibly and “Think Orange” while driving through work zones by driving the speed limit and remaining alert at all times.           
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Editor’s Note: For more information about safe driving in work zones, log onto choosesafetyforlife.com.