Motorists Advised to Plan Ahead; Ramp Traffic Will Be Diverted to York Road Interchange Through Fall 2010  
 

(March 22, 2010) – Motorists traveling through the I-695/Charles Street interchange area will see a major traffic change beginning early April as work progresses on the $38 million interchange reconstruction project.

On or about the week of April 4, the Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration (SHA) will close the ramp from the roundabout at Charles Street (MD 139) and Bellona Avenue Extended to westbound I-695 (Baltimore Beltway Inner Loop) and northbound I-83 (Harrisburg Expressway).  The two-way section of the ramp will remain open for access to all business and medical offices located along Bellona Avenue Extended.
 

Once the ramp is closed, a signed detour route will take motorists from westbound I-695 to Bellona Avenue to Seminary Avenue (MD 131) to southbound York Road (MD 45) and back to the beltway from the York Road interchange.  As an alternative, motorists in Lutherville may also take westbound Seminary Avenue to southbound Falls Road (MD 25) to reach the Outer loop of the Beltway.  All motorists traveling from the west Towson area on northbound Charles Street to westbound I-695 must stay right along northbound Charles Street past the bridge and use the existing right-turn loop ramp to gain entrance to the outer loop.  
 

The long-term temporary closure of this ramp is needed to safely accomplish rehabilitation work on the I-695 bridge over Light Rail, which began in 2009.  Along I-695, SHA also will shift the two lanes on the ramp from eastbound I-695 to northbound I-83 to the far right side of the bridge so crews may work in the center section of the bridge. 
 

The ramp closure and traffic shift will last approximately six months, through the spring and summer.  Temporary traffic signs will guide motorists through the official ramp detour route in Lutherville.  SHA previously closed the left-turn ramp from southbound Charles Street to eastbound  I-695 to all traffic in February.  This ramp will remain closed until late summer 2010.
 

Current work within the interchange area includes construction of the first half of the new bridge (future southbound lanes).  Construction of the southbound side will continue through summer 2010. 

After the new half of the bridge is complete, SHA and the contractor will shift Charles Street traffic from the old bridge onto the new bridge.  The remainder of the old bridge will be removed and the northbound lanes of the new bridge will be constructed in its place.  

SHA’s contractor for the I-695/Charles Street Interchange project is the Six-M Company of Delta, Pa.  The entire Charles Street Interchange project will be complete late spring 2012, weather permitting.
 

For more information about the Charles Street Interchange project, citizens may view lane closure updates, interchange diagrams, and other information on the SHA project web page on www.roads.maryland.gov.  Citizens may also contact SHA’s project field office in Lutherville at    410-296-9041 or by email at shadistrict4@sha.state.md.us. 

SHA encourages all motorists to drive responsibly and “Think Orange” while driving through highway work zones by driving the speed limit and remaining alert at all times.  Learn more about work zone safety and Maryland’s Choose Safety for Life campaign at www.choosesafetyforlife.com. 

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