New Outer Loop Project Includes Smoother Mainline and On-/Off-Ramp Driving Surfaces

(July 27, 2017) – Next week, the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) will begin a safety and resurfacing project on the outer loop of I-495 (Capital Beltway) between Seminary Road (west of MD 185/Connecticut Avenue) and the I-270 west spur. Weather and progress permitting, the 5.3-mile project should be complete late summer 2018.

Crews will begin the $8 million project by patching pavement, then mill (remove the top layer of asphalt), pave and restripe the highway. MDOT SHA recently completed an identical project on the inner loop of I-495 in the same project limits.

 

“It is critical that MDOT SHA keep a safe and smooth ride for the hundreds of thousands of drivers relying on the beltway every day,” said MDOT SHA District Engineer Brian Young. “MDOT SHA is urging drivers to plan extra travel time while traveling on the outer loop of I-495 in Bethesda and Kensington and slow down.”

 

Additional work on the project includes: 

• Improving ride quality on the bridge decks (driving surfaces) at MD 185, Kensington Parkway and Stoneybrook Drive;

 

• Replacing drainage pipes and drain inlets to enhance roadway drainage; 

 

• Constructing sidewalk and sidewalk ramps at the top of the ramps for Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance;

• Replacing or repairing damaged guardrail; and

 

• Stabilizing highway slopes to prevent erosion.

 

MDOT SHA’s contractor, Francis O. Day Co., Inc. of Rockville, is permitted to close multiple lanes Sunday nights to Friday mornings between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. and single lane and shoulders Mondays through Fridays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Motorists should also expect occasional triple lanes closures on weekends between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. Fridays through Mondays. Crews will also close and detour ramps Sundays through Thursday between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. as part of the project.

Crews will begin the project by performing concrete and guardrail work, as well as ramp resurfacing.  Equipment used for construction can be disruptive.

MDOT SHA will use arrow boards, message signs, cones and barrels to guide motorists through the work zone. More than 230,000 vehicles use this section of the Capital Beltway daily so motorists should plan and allow for extra travel time. 

MDOT SHA recently completed an identical project on the inner loop of I-495 in the same area. The total investment of both projects adds up to more than $17 million for improving safety and enhancing the ride quality for motorists.

 

Those with questions regarding this I-495 outer loop project can contact Mr. Ahmad Thomas, MDOT SHA Project Engineer, at 443-850-3694, or Mr. Abraham Kidane, MDOT SHA District 3 Area Engineer, at 301-513-7372.

 

The e-Road Ready 2017 electronic construction brochure is now available by clicking here. The e-brochure highlights major road construction and maintenance projects in each of MDOT SHA’s seven engineering districts which cover Maryland’s 23 counties.

 

While SHA and its transportation partners work hard to maintain safe traffic mobility in work zones, each driver need 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.

 

Maryland drivers can also know before they go by calling 511 or visiting www.md511.org for live traffic updates.