New Travel Lane to Be Added in Each Direction; Motorists Should Expect Delays During Construction          
          
(October 22, 2008) – To improve safety, the Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration (SHA) has begun a $12.4 million project to widen MD 295 (Baltimore-Washington Parkway) between I-195 and I-695 (Baltimore Beltway), south of Baltimore City. The project will increase the number of lanes in each direction from two to three along the 1.5-mile section of highway. Weather permitting, work will be complete by fall 2011.          
          
SHA will convert the left inside shoulder into a 12-foot travel lane in both directions, adjacent to the median. Construction also includes resurfacing the existing two lanes, resurfacing the ramp from southbound MD 295 to eastbound I-195, and median landscaping consistent with the Parkway’s scenic context. New ten-foot inside shoulders will be added in each direction.           
          
Travelers are advised to be aware of construction equipment and trucks entering and exiting the median. Motorists will encounter single lane and shoulder closures along both directions of MD 295, Sunday through Thursday nights between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. Closer to the completion of the project, SHA may have single lane closures on Friday and Saturday nights between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. and during the day on weekends. To avoid delays I-95, I-97 and US 1 may be used as alternate routes.          
          
The project is in the heart of the Baltimore-Washington corridor, providing access to those who use MD 295 to reach downtown Baltimore, BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport and the surrounding business districts. Work is not scheduled during special events held in the City of Baltimore, Orioles and Ravens games and peak BWI airport periods. Nearly 92,000 vehicles use this stretch of MD 295 each day. SHA’s general contractor for this project is P. Flanigan and Sons, Inc., of Baltimore.          
          
Those who have questions about this project or other projects or traffic operations along State-numbered highways in Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, or St. Mary’s Counties may call SHA’s District 5 Office at 410-841-1000 or toll-free at 1-800-331-5603.          
          
With safety as its number one priority, the Maryland State Highway Administration is a proud partner of Choose Safety for Life, a campaign that provides one voice for drivers, motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists and truckers. Virtually all traffic crash fatalities can be prevented if everyone practices these five key steps: B-SAFE – Buckle up, Slow down – speeding kills, Always drive sober, Focus, Everyone share the road. Learn more at www.choosesafetyforlife.com.          
          
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