UPDATE, May 17, 2013: Crews have completed paving of the southbound rest area. Work will begin on the northbound rest area on Monday, May 20. Please note that crews will not be working on Memorial Day (Monday, May 27) or on Tuesday, May 28. The rest area will be open those days.
(May 6, 2013) – The Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) advises motorists that a paving project starting Monday, May 13, will require daytime closures of the
I-95 Welcome Center rest areas in Howard County. The closures will affect one welcome center at a time, beginning with the SOUTHBOUND side on May 13. After one to two weeks, weather permitting, work on the southbound Welcome Center will be complete and work will move to the NORTHBOUND Welcome Center. The paving project will be complete by June 30, weather permitting.
The closures will occur from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays. During those hours, the entire rest area will be closed including the Welcome Center, restrooms and all car, truck, RV and bus parking. Overnight truck parking will be permitted and the restrooms will reopen for the evening and overnight hours; however, all vehicles must depart by 8 a.m. SHA will use variable message signs to notify motorists of the closures.
“Maryland’s welcome centers and rest areas are popular locations year round,” said SHA District Engineer Dave Coyne. “Paving the parking areas during the weekday prevents inconveniences during the overnight hours or weekends when higher volumes of use are expected. SHA appreciates motorists’ patience during this temporary inconvenience, and encourages travelers to plan ahead for alternatives.”
Drivers and motor carriers who use the affected rest areas should plan their travel accordingly. Truck parking and amenities are available at Travel Centers of America at exit 41, 4 miles north of the Welcome Centers. Information about other Maryland rest areas, ridesharing lots and truck parking locations is available at
www.roads.maryland.gov under “Commuter and Travel.”
The I-95 Welcome Centers are at mile marker 37 in the Savage-Laurel area, between the exits for MD 216 and MD 32. As part of the $1.2 million paving project, crews will resurface and restripe all 76 regular parking spaces, 18 RV spaces and 21 truck spaces at the northbound rest area as well as the 93 regular parking spaces at the southbound rest area. The RV and truck parking at the southbound rest area is not included because it will be reconfigured as part of a separate project starting later this spring to expand the southbound area to add additional truck parking. The existing parking will remain open during that project.
SHA’s contractor for paving is P. Flanigan & Sons Inc. of Baltimore. Questions about the project may be directed to SHA’s District 7 Office at 301-624-8100, toll-free at 800-635-5119, or by email at
SHADistrict7@sha.state.md.us.
While SHA and its 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 – look for reduced speed limits, narrow driving lanes and highway workers. Slow down and don't follow too closely. Safer Driving. Safer Work Zones. For everyone!
Maryland now features FREE 511 traveler information! Call 511 or 1-855-GOMD511 or visit
www.md511.org for current travel information. Sign up to personalize travel route information through MY511 on the website. Remember to use 511 safely – Maryland law prohibits hand-held mobile phone use and texting while driving.
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