(July 22, 2009)  As part of the Maryland State Highway Administration’s (SHA) $2.5 billion Intercounty Connector (ICC) project, traffic along sections of Briggs Chaney Road and Old Gunpowder Road will be shifted for up to one year to allow for construction of new bridges that ultimately will carry traffic over the ICC.

Work on the Briggs Chaney Road traffic switch began this week.  Beginning tomorrow night, July 23 at 8 p.m., traffic on Briggs Chaney Road south of US 29 near Gentry Ridge Court will be shifted to a new temporary roadway east of existing Briggs Chaney Road, for approximately one year.  Motorists will have the same number of through lanes during the traffic shift.  A temporary, shared use bicycle-pedestrian path is also under construction along the west side of the temporary road, separated from traffic by a guard rail.  Existing bus stops along Briggs Chaney Road, just south of Gentry Ridge Court, will be maintained.  Following the one-year shift, traffic is scheduled to be moved onto the new bridge mid-summer 2010, weather permitting.

Additionally, beginning next Wednesday, July 29, traffic on Old Gunpowder Road just south of Greencastle Road will be shifted onto a temporary road, 1,200 feet in length, immediately east of existing Old Gunpowder Road.  Access to the four private residences along Old Gunpowder Road near Greencastle Road will be maintained. Traffic is scheduled to be shifted onto the new bridge late summer 2010, weather permitting.

During the time that traffic is being switched from existing roads to temporary new roads, flaggers will be in place to safely guide motorists onto the new routes. Variable message signs are currently in place to alert motorists to the upcoming shifts.  Residents and businesses in the affected areas have been notified.  Traffic delays for nearby residents, commuters, and businesses are expected to be minimal.

This work is part of the Contract C section of the ICC, from just west of US 29 to just east of I-95.  The $513.9 million Contract C was awarded to IC3, a Joint Venture consisting of Shirley Contracting Company, LLC; Clark Construction Group, LLC; Atkinson Construction Company, LLC; Facchina Construction Company, Inc.; and Trumbull Corporation. The team's lead design firm is Dewberry & Davis, LLC.

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 www.choosesafetyforlife.com. For more information about the project, persons may call the ICC Community Outreach staff at 1-866-462-0020 or visit the ICC project web site at www.iccproject.com.

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