Closure Necessary to Construct New Ramp at ICC/MD650 Interchange           
          
(June 15, 2009) -- On Wednesday, June 17 beginning at approximately 11 p.m., the Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration (SHA) will permanently close and cul-de-sac a section of Cape May Road approaching MD 650 (New Hampshire Avenue) in Silver Spring. The closure is part of the $2.5 billion Intercounty Connector (ICC) project, scheduled to open late 2011/early 2012, that will link I-370/I-270 in Montgomery County with I-95 and US 1 in Prince George’s County.           
          
The permanent closure of Cape May Road approaching MD 650 (New Hampshire Avenue), which will be in place by Thursday morning, June 18, is necessary to construct a new ramp for the ICC interchange at MD 650. Motorists along Cape May Road wanting to use MD 650 will be directed to Good Hope Road, which connects to MD 650 just north of the existing location.          
          
Over the past several weeks, residents and businesses in the area have been informed of the pending closure through various outreach efforts including road signage, fliers, phone calls, emails and personal visits.           
          
Traffic engineers will monitor traffic flow at the Good Hope Road/MD 650 and Good Hope Road/Cape May Road intersections following the closure of Cape May Road and make minor modifications as needed. These intersections are expected to operate more efficiently when the entire ICC opens late 2011/early 2012.           
          
As of June 1, Contract B, which extends between MD 97 (Georgia Avenue) and US 29, is approximately 10 percent complete. The $559.7 million Contract B was awarded to MD200 Constructors, a Joint Venture consisting of Kiewit Southern Co., G.A. & F.C. Wagman, Inc. and Corman Construction, Inc.           
          
For more information about the project, citizens may call the ICC Community Outreach staff at 1-866-462-0020, or visit the ICC website at www.iccproject.com . SHA encourages all motorists to Choose Safety for Life and “Think Orange” while driving through work zones by observing the speed limit and remaining alert at all times. More information about the Choose Safety for Life Campaign may be found at www.choosesafetyforlife.com .          
          
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