Forest Drive Pole Finally Being Moved

Work crews have finally removed the lone utility pole in the middle of Forest Drive.

The pole was the lingering final piece of a $3.5 million to the stretch of the busy roadway from Bywater Road to just past Hilltop Lane. Crews installed a third lane in both directions, as well as a hiker/biker path along the side of the road.

But the project was scheduled to wrap by Dec. 28. At one point, county officials said they expected work to be done before Christmas. And most of the work was finished on schedule, except for that pole.

Now county officials said Forest Drive will not be free of work trucks until possibly early April, though it could be wrapped by mid March. Matt Diehl, an Anne Arundel County spokesman, said the hold up has been deciding who is responsible for relocating the utility pole.

"There has been discussions with Verizon over who was responsible for moving the pole," he said. "In the interest of moving forward and getting the project complete, the county has issued Verizon a work order to get them to move their pole."

He said the county believes that since it is in a county right-of-way it is Verizon's responsibility to move the pole.

A representative from Verizon could not be reached for comment.

Diehl said the county is continuing to work with Verizon on the pole's relocation.

But for daily drivers who had to swerve around the obstruction in the tight lanes, the agreement for now means an end is in sight. Diehl said Verizon will be on Forest Drive Monday through Friday working to move the pole and the accompanying lines.

The project also included the construction of a new median with enhanced landscaping near the Hilltop Lane intersection, as well as new street lights. There also will be new signals installed at both the intersections at Bywater Road and Hilltop Lane.

Improved stormwater drainage at the Hilltop intersection where water would frequently pool during heavy rains also was upgraded. Workers reshaped the roadway to enhance the flow of water into an improved gutter system.