(December 13, 2018) – Beginning Sunday night, the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) will shift traffic at several locations for the interchange construction project on MD 5 (Branch Avenue)/MD 373 (Accokeek Road)/MD 381 (Brandywine Road). The traffic shift should be complete mid-week.

After the traffic shift, motorists traveling on northbound MD 5 will be directed to the new Brandywine Road Bridge to make left turns. The current at-grade left turn will be eliminated. Motorists traveling southbound on MD 5 will be directed to the bridge, eliminating the at-grade right turn movement.

The lane closures will begin at 8 p.m. with all lanes opening by 5 a.m. each subsequent morning. In case of inclement weather, the work will be performed beginning Sunday night, January 6.

The lane closures are as follows:

• December 16 - single lane closure on westbound Brandywine Road between US 301 (Crain Highway) and MD 5. During the work, travel on westbound Brandywine Road will be prohibited beyond the MD 381/MD 5 intersection. Drivers will use a short section of MD 373 to MD 5 and back to westbound Brandywine Road.

• December 17 - double lane closure on northbound MD 5 at Brandywine Road. During this work, northbound MD 5 traffic will be prohibited from making left turns at the intersection of MD 5 and MD 381. Traffic will use the new interchange overpass.

• ​December 18 – double lane closure on southbound MD 5 at Brandywine Road. During this work, southbound MD 5 traffic will be prohibited from making right turns at the MD 5/Brandywine Road intersection. Traffic will use the new interchange overpass.

MDOT SHA will use arrow boards, cones and law enforcement assistance to guide motorists through the work zone. This project will relieve significant daily congestion by removing an at-grade signalized intersection, as well as a roundabout. A new park and ride facility will be constructed to provide much needed ridesharing opportunities in this heavily travelled commuter route. The project is nearly 75 percent complete. .

Stay alert and look for reduced speed limits, narrow driving lanes and highway workers. Slow down and don’t follow too closely. Work Zone Safety is in Your Hands. For a list of all major MDOT SHA projects, click on Road Ready, MDOT SHA's electronic construction brochure. For a look at real-time commute conditions, log onto ​md511.maryland.gov.

# # #