Road Construction to Begin Again on Muddy Creek Road at 214

The State Highway Administration and the Anne Arundel County Police southern district station have issued an announcement that road construction at the intersection of Central Avenue (MD 214) and Muddy Creek Road (MD 468) will begin again starting on Monday (March 28).

Residents of the Mayo peninsula should expect delays between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Work is anticipated to continue through October 2011.

According to a statement released by SHA, there will be lane closures and equipment on the scene during these hours. For up-to-the minute lane-closure details, check the Maryland State Highway administration CHART website.

The fixes are designed to alleviate congestion at what the county has termed a "failed intersection." The proposal has been on the table for years, but only in 2010 received final approval for funding.

The changes to the intersection will be conducted in two phases:

Phase One

Phase one includes the widening of the roadway for both Central Avenue and Muddy Creek Road and began in October with the clearing of trees to make room to widen the roadway. The work in Phase One will continue for approximately one year. New additions will include:

• A continuous westbound lane on Central Avenue.
• A dedicated right turn lane for eastbound Central Avenue onto southbound Muddy Creek Road.
• Two left-turn lanes for northbound Muddy Creek Road onto westbound Central Avenue.
• One right-turn lane from northbound Muddy Creek onto eastbound Central Avenue.
• One left-turn lane from westbound Central Avenue onto southbound Muddy Creek Road.

Phase Two

Phase two of the project will last approximately five months and will begin in April 2011. It will consist of widening the road from Central Middle School up to the intersection at Muddy Creek Road.

The intersection will be open and in-use during that time, with lane closures and disruptions kept to a minimum during rush hour.

The contractor, Concrete General of Gaithersburg, is only permitted to work from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day, making tie-ups at morning and evening rush hours less likely.

The project was proposed in July 2001 and designed in June 2002. It began in October 2011 with a $5.7 million price tag.