Weeknight Steel Beam Work Begins Sunday, October 11

(October 9, 2009) - The Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration (SHA) and its contractor, the Six-M Company of Delta, Pa., will detour traffic along I-695 (Baltimore Beltway) at Exit 25, the MD 139 (Charles Street) interchange in Towson for four nights a week, beginning on or about 11 p.m. Sunday night, October 11.  The detours at the interchange will allow crews to safely install the steel beams for the new Charles Street bridge over I-695.  The steel beam installation work will take approximately four weeks to complete, weather permitting. 

Beginning this Sunday through Thursday, crews will close one left lane of eastbound and westbound I-695 on the approach to the bridge at 8 p.m., two left lanes at 10 p.m. and all lanes at 11 p.m.  After 11 p.m. each night, all traffic on I-695 will be diverted off I-695, through the Charles Street interchange, and back to I-695.  Motorists traveling from southbound I-83 to eastbound I-695 will also be diverted through the Charles Street interchange to eastbound I-695.  The traffic diversion will be in place until 5 a.m. the following morning.  Maryland State Police and flagpersons will guide motorists through the nightly traffic diversion at the interchange.   

The steel beam installation work is part of the State’s $38 million, three-year project to replace the Charles Street bridge over I-695, modify the interchange traffic patterns, and rehabilitate the I-695 bridge over the Baltimore Light Rail line.  The Charles Street bridge will remain open to traffic during construction; however, SHA reduced the number of travel lanes on the bridge to one lane southbound and two lanes northbound to enhance safety for travelers and construction crews.  The speed limit on I-695 is 50 mph in the work zone between Exit 24, MD 45 (York Road) and Exit 27, I-83 North (Baltimore-Harrisburg Expressway).  SHA reminds all motorists that the I-695 Charles Street Interchange highway work zone is part of the Maryland SafeZones Automated Speed Enforcement pilot program, which began October 1.  Speed enforcement vehicles (SUVs or mini-vans) may patrol the I-695 work zone at any time.   

SHA strongly recommends all motorists to plan for extra travel time along I-695 and to consider alternative routes at night Sundays – Thursdays during the month of October.  For more information about highway construction activities along I-695, citizens may contact SHA’s District Four Office at 410-229-2300, toll-free at 1-866-998-0367 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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