Motorists Should Expect Off-Peak Daytime and Nighttime Closures on I-68 and MD 639

(May 1, 2018) – Next Week, the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) will begin a project to rehabilitate the I-68 (National Freeway) Bridge over MD 639 (Willowbrook Road) in Cumberland, Allegany County. The $7.2 million project will be complete fall 2019.

MDOT SHA will remove and replace the bridge steel beams and concrete bridge deck (driving surface.) Other work includes concrete repairing on the bridge’s abutments and piers, adjusting traffic signals during construction and constructing storm water management systems.

Although most of work on this project will take place behind concrete barrier wall, motorists may encounter occasional single lane closures to shift traffic or to receive materials and equipment on site.  MDOT SHA will maintain two lanes in each direction on I-68 throughout the project.

MDOT SHA’s contractor, Triton Construction, Inc. of Saint Albans, WV, will use variable message signs, cones and barrels to guide motorists through the work zone. Motorists are encouraged to provide extra commute time during the project.

Originally constructed in 1964 and rehabilitated in 1976, the bridge is safe for travel, but needs rehabilitation to provide continued reliable use. Approximately 31,000 vehicles per day cross this bridge daily, including a significant amount of commercial traffic. Nearly 13,600 vehicles on MD 639 drive under this bridge.

 

 

 

(MDOT SHA photo: Inspections crews evaluating the I-68 Bridge over MD 639.)

This project will keep this bridge from becoming deficient and add decades of life to the structure. Proactively addressing bridges that are nearing deficiency and enables MDOT SHA to stay ahead of aging structures and maintain a world-class highway system.

 

While MDOT SHA and its transportation partners work hard to maintain safe traffic mobility in work zones, each driver needs to actively modify his or her driving style to help prevent crashes. 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 www.md511.org.