Commuter Alert: Traffic Lanes Shift for Bridge Project

Traffic will shift starting Wednesday night to a new section of bridge over the Capital Beltway in Silver Spring, but the change will bring delays and stops.

The Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration has completed one-half of the $9.6 million MD 193 (University Boulevard) bridge replacement project in Silver Spring. Crews recently finished the new westbound side of the bridge, which carries University Boulevard over I-495 (Capital Beltway), and will shift all traffic onto the new structure to reconstruct the other half of the bridge.

As the contractor prepares the structure to handle traffic with signs and striping, crews will work tonight between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. through Thursday this week.

Weather permitting; both eastbound and westbound motorists will travel on the new bridge by 5 a.m. Friday. During the shift, the Maryland State Police will stop traffic for 15 minute intervals on MD 193 and possibly I-495 below for the safety of workers and travelers.

The work may cause traffic delays, so drivers should allow extra time if traveling overnight on either highway.

Additionally, crews will apply new pavement markings on Williamsburg and Indian Spring drives and realign the traffic signal the exit ramp from westbound I-495 to MD 193. Once all traffic shift work is complete, the contractor will place concrete barriers to create a work zone for demolition and construction of the eastbound side of the bridge.

The eastbound side of the bridge will be closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic for the remainder of the project. Signs will direct pedestrians to cross on the westbound side of MD 193 until the eastbound bridge work is complete.

Following the traffic shift, crews may close one lane in both directions of MD 193 weekdays, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and up to two lanes overnight, Sundays through Thursdays between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.

The MD 193 bridge replacement project began spring 2013. Other work completed to date includes utility relocations and road widening of MD 193. Weather permitting; the entire project should be complete late summer 2016.