/Charles Street Bridge Project

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Charles Street Bridge Project News

The Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration (SHA) is providing a project update on new traffic shifts and ramp opening/closing schedules this month associated with the I-695 (Baltimore Beltway) / MD 139 (Charles Street) interchange reconstruction project. In late August, crews will shift all traffic on Charles Street to the new bridge; begin removal of the old bridge; and begin construction of the remainder of the new bridge.

· 5 a.m. Wednesday, August 4 – Re-opening of original traffic pattern on the two-lane ramp from southbound I-83 (Baltimore-Harrisburg Expressway) to eastbound I-695.

· 8 p.m. Monday, August 9 - 5 a.m. Tuesday, August 10: Crews will work overnight to remove the traffic split on westbound I-695 (Outer Loop) Bridge over Light Rail. Lane closures may occur overnight on westbound I-695 and the ramp to northbound I-83.

· 5 a.m. Tuesday, August 10: Re-opening of ramp from the Bellona Avenue Extended Roundabout to westbound I-695 and northbound I-83.

· 5 a.m. Tuesday, August 10: Begin temporary two-week closure and detour of the right-turn loop ramp from northbound Charles Street to westbound I-695 to complete ramp reconstruction work.

Motorists traveling from northbound Charles Street to westbound I-695 and northbound I-83 must stay left on Charles Street and go through the roundabout to the Bellona Avenue ramp. SHA encourages motorists traveling from Lutherville to westbound I-695 to use the York Road interchange and avoid the roundabout during the two-week loop ramp closure.

· 8 p.m. Wednesday, August 11 – Thursday, August 12: Crews will work overnight to remove the traffic split on eastbound I-695 (Inner Loop) Bridge over Light Rail. Lane closures may occur overnight on eastbound I-695.

· 5 a.m. Tuesday, August 24, weather permitting: Re-open loop ramp from northbound Charles Street to westbound I-695.

· 9 p.m. Friday, August 27 – 5 a.m. Monday, August 30: Crews will shift all Charles Street traffic from the old bridge to the new bridge. The Charles Street Bridge will remain open to vehicular traffic during the shift, with flagging operations and intermittent traffic stoppages throughout the weekend. The ramps from southbound I-83 (Harrisburg Expressway) and eastbound I-695 to Charles Street will be temporarily detoured to the MD 45 (York Road) interchange during the weekend. The flyover ramp from southbound I-83 to eastbound I-695 will remain open during the bridge traffic shift.

In case of inclement weather, the Charles Street bridge traffic shift and temporary ramp closures will take place the weekend of September 10-13. Additionally, the left-turn ramp from southbound Charles Street to eastbound I-695 (Inner Loop) will remain closed until late fall 2010, and the posted detour through Lutherville to the York Road Interchange will be in effect.

The speed limit on I-695 is 50 mph in the work zone between Exit 26, MD 45 (York Road) and Exit 24, I-83 North (Baltimore-Harrisburg Expressway). The SafeZones program (Automated speed enforcement in work zones) is in effect within the work zone, with a $40 fine for vehicles exceeding the work zone speed limit. The entire I-695/Charles Street Interchange project will be complete summer 2012.

Citizens who have questions about traffic operations along I-695 and Charles Street may call the project field office at 410-296-9041 or SHA’s District Four Office in Hunt Valley at 410-229-2300, toll free at 1-866-998-0367 or by email at shadistrict4@sha.state.md.us. Citizens may view the I-695/Charles Street project web page on SHA’s website, www.roads.maryland.gov.

If you or your aides have any questions about the ongoing construction work or the upcoming traffic shifts, please feel free to contact Mr. Don Schaefer, Assistant District Engineer – Construction, at 410-229-2421, toll-free at 1-866-998-0367 or email at dschaefer@sha.state.md.us . Of course, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.

Westbound - Charles Street Ramp to Close week of April 4th...
SHA and the contractor are currently on schedule to close the shared-use ramp from the roundabout at Charles Street (MD 139) and Bellona Avenue Extended to westbound I-695 (Baltimore Beltway Outer Loop) on or about the week of April 4 as part of SHA’s $38 million project to replace the Charles Street bridge over I-695 and rehabilitate the I-695 bridge over the Baltimore Light Rail tracks. The two-way section of the ramp will remain open for access to all medical and business offices located along Bellona Avenue Extended. Once this ramp is closed, all motorists traveling from Lutherville to westbound I-695 will be directed to take Bellona Avenue and Seminary Avenue (MD 131) to southbound York Road (MD 45) and enter I-695 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 westbound I-695. 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 westbound I-695

On or about the week of April 4, 2010, the Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration (SHA) will institute a long-term temporary closure of the shared-use ramp from the roundabout at Charles Street (MD 139) and Bellona Avenue Extended to westbound I-695 (Baltimore Beltway Outer Loop) as part of SHA’s $38 million project to replace the Charles Street bridge over I-695 and rehabilitate the I-695 bridge over the Baltimore Light Rail tracks. The two-way section of the ramp will remain open for access to all medical and business offices located along Bellona Avenue Extended.

Once this ramp is closed, all motorists traveling from Lutherville to westbound I-695 will be directed to take Bellona Avenue and Seminary Avenue (MD 131) to southbound York Road (MD 45) and enter I-695 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 westbound I-695. 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 westbound I-695.

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 westbound 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.

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

Current construction 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 will continue work on realignment of the loop ramp from northbound Charles Street to westbound I-695, and construction of retaining walls along eastbound Bellona Avenue and southbound Charles Street near the Ruxton Towers.

The State’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 I-695/Charles Street Interchange project, citizens may view lane closure updates, interchange diagrams, and other project information on the SHA project web page on www.roads.maryland.gov. Citizens may also contact Mr. David Bond, Project Engineer, at SHA’s project field office in Lutherville at 410-296-9041, through the project web page, or by email at dbond@sha.state.md.us.

If you or your aides have any questions or concerns about the I-695/Charles Street Interchange project, please contact Mr. Don Schaefer, Assistant District Engineer for Construction at 410-229-2421, toll-free at 1-866-998-0367 or dschaefer@sha.state.md.us. Of course, you should never hesitate to contact me directly.

Eastbound - Charles Street Ramp to Close February 4th...
On or about 8 p.m. Thursday night, February 4, the Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration (SHA) will begin a long-term temporary closure of the left-turn ramp from southbound MD 139 (Charles Street) to eastbound I-695 (Baltimore Beltway Inner Loop), weather permitting.

As of 6 a.m. Friday morning, February 5, the left-turn ramp from southbound Charles Street to eastbound I-695 will be closed to all traffic, and motorists approaching the Charles Street Interchange from Lutherville will be directed to use the official ramp detour route: north/eastbound Bellona Avenue to eastbound Seminary Avenue (MD131) to southbound MD 45 (York Road) to the York Road Interchange ramp to eastbound I-695.

Also on the night of February 4, SHA and the contractor will temporarily close the ramp from eastbound I-695 (Inner Loop) to northbound Charles Street for one night, between 8 p.m. Thursday and 5 a.m. Friday to shift traffic patterns on this ramp. Motorists will be diverted past the Charles Street Interchange to the York Road Interchange, to westbound I-695 (Outer Loop) back to the Charles Street Interchange to northbound Charles Street.

In case of inclement weather, the traffic pattern changes and long-term ramp closure will take place on Sunday night, February 7 or the next possible weeknight.

The long-term temporary closure of the ramp from southbound Charles Street to eastbound I-695 is necessary for Phase Two of construction work on the new Charles Street bridge over I-695; crews will shortly begin work on a retaining wall for the east side of the new bridge. The right-turn ramp from northbound Charles Street to eastbound I-695 will remain open.

Temporary traffic signs will guide motorists through the official detour route in Lutherville and the ramp closure will remain in effect until early fall 2010. The State’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 project information on the SHA project web page on www.roads.maryland.gov. Citizens may also contact Mr. David Bond, Project Engineer, at SHA’s project field office in Lutherville at 410-296-9041, through the project web page, or by email at dbond@sha.state.md.us.