Friday Night Detour to Start at 9 P.M. for Ramp Improvements; Area Traffic to Be Directed to State Roads          
          
(August 8, 2008) – Tonight, the Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration (SHA) will temporarily close two ramps at the I-95/MD 5 interchange in Prince George’s County. Work will begin 9 P.M. TONIGHT as SHA makes improvements to alleviate congestion along the new flyover ramp from southbound I-95 to southbound MD 5, which opened last week. This work was previously scheduled for Sunday night, August 10.          
          
Presently, both the northbound I-95 and southbound I-95 ramps to southbound MD 5 merge into one lane prior to MD 5, which has caused delays in both directions on I-95. Weather permitting, on Saturday morning August 9 both the northbound and southbound I-95 ramps to southbound MD 5 will have their own ramp lane extending onto southbound MD 5.          
          
Tonight during the roadwork, motorists traveling along northbound and southbound I-95 will be directed to MD 414 (Saint Barnabas Road). From MD 414, motorists will turn onto MD 337 (Allentown Road) to reconnect with I-95.          
          
SHA will also reduce southbound Branch Avenue from three through lanes to two through lanes to allow for an extra ramp lane to exit onto southbound MD 5. All four lanes along MD 5 (two through lanes and two ramp lanes) will continue beyond the end of the ramp for about one half mile, where the outside lane will drop off and merge near Linda Lane.           
          
SHA thanks motorists for their advanced cooperation and patience and reminds them to use caution when driving along the detour route.           
          
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