US 40 Alt. Bridge Over Casselman River Closed on May 28th          
          
(May 30, 2008) – Earlier this week, the Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration (SHA) temporarily closed the US 40 Alternate (National Pike) Bridge over Casselman River in Garrett County as part of a $2.5 million project to replace the bridge deck.           
          
The bridge was built in 1932 and is structurally sound; however the concrete deck (the supported roadway on the bridge) requires replacement. SHA will also repaint the bridge superstructure and make other routine repairs.           
          
Signs are in place in advance of the bridge in both directions to alert motorists of the closure and detour route. More than 3,700 vehicles travel along this section of US 40 Alt. each day. The bridge will reopen to traffic in September though other work requiring single-lane closures will continue into fall.           
          
Through traffic along US 40 Alternate is detoured as follows:          
          
• Motorists traveling west of the bridge are detoured south along MD 495 to I-68 east to US 219 north to US 40 Alt.           
          
• Motorists traveling east of the bridge are detoured south along US 219 to I-68 west to           
MD 495 north to US 40 Alt.           
          
SHA awarded the contract to Concrete General Inc. of Gaithersburg. SHA encourages motorists to stay alert in work zones and slow down. Citizens who have questions about traffic operations on US 40 Alt. or other state numbered routes in Garrett County may call SHA’s District 6 Office toll free at 1-800-760-7138.           
          
During the next several months, there could be more than 350 work zones. Remember that work zones are not only large construction projects possibly taking years to complete, but smaller, mobile operations such as mowing, pothole repair and litter pick ups. Choose to make work zone safety your business at choosesafetyforlife.com.           
          
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