(October 31, 2013) – Tonight beginning at 10 p.m., the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) will close the two left lanes of southbound I-97 between MD 100 and MD 3 Business (Crain Highway) for pavement repairs in Anne Arundel County.  All lanes will be open by 5 a.m. Friday.  Additional lane closures will be required this weekend.

On Saturday, November 2 beginning at approximately 6 p.m., crews will also close the two left lanes in the same area to remove damaged concrete and place new reinforcing steel and concrete. To ensure proper curing of the concrete, the two lanes will remain closed through Monday morning, November 4 at 5 a.m. Concrete patches require up to 24 hours to cure before lanes can be reopened. Barrels and cones will remain in place for curing, and motorists are cautioned to avoid entering these lanes even if they see no sign of construction activity.  All work is based on weather conditions.

These concrete repairs will extend the service life of the road and improve traction and ride quality.  On average, more than 137,000 vehicles travel this portion of I-97 each day. 

Milani Construction of Washington, D.C is the contractor for this work which marks the start of a $3.7 million “area wide” concrete patching contract for several locations.  Roads to be patched under this contract include I-97, I-695 (Baltimore Beltway), I-195, MD 170 (Camp Meade Road), MD 648 (Baltimore-Annapolis Boulevard) and MD 710 (East Ordnance Road).

SHA will make every effort to patch during off-peak hours and will focus on minimizing impacts to commuter traffic.  Work hours for saw cutting and minor patching will generally be Sunday through Thursday from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. but may vary.  For larger patches, placing new concrete over the weekend will be necessary to minimize impacts to heavy weekday commuter traffic.

This project was made possible with funding from the Transportation Infrastructure Investment Act of 2013, which maintains crucial system preservation investments and allows Maryland to activate long-term strategies to invest in Maryland’s transportation systems. By putting people back to work in the transportation industry with $4.4 billion in new investments in the next six years, Maryland is creating hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity and providing Marylanders with the transportation infrastructure necessary to grow and prosper for decades to come.

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!