Motorists Urged to Stay Alert for Work Crews and Weekday Single Lane Closures

(March 6, 2019) – The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) is preparing to enhance safety and ease daily congestion on US 15 (Catoctin Mountain Highway) between south of Orndorff Road/St. Anthony Road and north of College Lane in Frederick County. The $5.5 million project will be complete fall 2020. 

The project will widen the existing median of US 15 to provide acceleration and deceleration lanes at the US15/MD 76 (Motters Station Road) intersection. MDOT SHA will provide new J-turns at MD 76/St. Anthony Road, eliminating the left turn movement from westbound MD 76 and eastbound St. Anthony Road. Motorists will turn right and perform a U-turn at adjacent intersections, which will also be improved with acceleration and deceleration lanes. The new J-turns will significantly reduce angle crashes on US 15 in this area.

Other work on the project includes constructing concrete medians and drainage improvements in the 1.6-mile project limits. Crews will also upgrade signing along US 15 in the project area.

Motorists should expect single lane closures in each direction of US 15 during off-peak travel times starting Sunday nights through Friday morning as crews set concrete barrier. Most of the work will take place behind concrete barrier after it is installed, but there may be occasional lane single lane closures for material and equipment deliveries.

 

 

 

(MDOT SHA graphic: US 15 J-Turn illustration in Frederick County.)

MDOT SHA’s contractor, Kibler Construction, Inc. of Finksburg, will use message boards, barrels and cones to guide motorists through the work zone during lane closures. Approximately 45,000 vehicles travel on US 15 in this area each day.

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.