(July 18, 2018) – The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) is beginning a project to resurface Ridge Road (MD 27) between Watersville Road and the Frederick County line. This includes the ramp from northbound MD 27 to eastbound I-70, which will start Thursday and be complete by the beginning of August, weather permitting. The 2.3-mile section of MD 27 will be complete mid-fall.

MDOT SHA’s contractor, C.J. Miller LLC. of Hampstead, will patch, mill (remove the top layer of asphalt, pave and restripe Main Street, as well as the ramp. Crews are permitted to close a single lane on MD 27 Sunday nights through Friday mornings between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. Motorists will be guided through work zone by way of a flagging operation. During the week-long ramp resurfacing project, there will be nighttime ramp closures and local, brief detours using South Main Street.

Approximately 20,000 motorists use this section of Ridge Road each day, but the traffic volumes diminish significantly after 7 p.m. Motorists should plan on extra travel time during construction.

Since the end of June, MDOT SHA has resurfaced or treated half of all state highway lane miles since 2015. This milestone marks the improvement of nearly 8,500 lane miles, calculated by miles of highway multiplied by the number of lanes, improving safety and enhancing the customer experience for millions of drivers across the state.

 

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.