UPDATE: Forge-Belair Road Closure to Become Permanent

UPDATE: Coverage of a meeting held Monday evening at the White Marsh Library to discuss the closure, can be found in the article, .

Baltimore County Councilman David Marks released the following statement regarding the  near the Belair Road intersection: 

Following a year of discussions between agencies and Perry Hall residents, the Maryland State Highway Administration and Baltimore County’s Department of Public Works have completed an assessment of traffic operations at U.S. 1 (Belair Road) and Forge Road.

The traffic signal will remain at U.S. 1 and Forge Road, providing access to businesses at that intersection. The signal will be timed and coordinated with adjacent signals so that heavy traffic on U.S.1 is not stopped unnecessarily. And, Forge Road will terminate at a point between the Forge Reserve neighborhood and the businesses at the Forge-Belair intersection.

The decision accomplishes several important objectives. It serves State and County safety goals. It preserves access for the businesses located at, and adjacent to, the Forge-Belair intersection. And it encourages traffic to use major roads—which should help to lower traffic volume on the Forge Road corridor.

Marks added in an email to Patch that county and state engineers, as well as state Sen. Kathy Klausmeier and Sen. J.B. Jennings and Del. Kathy Szeliga and Del. John Cluster, participated in the discussions that led to the Forge Road decision.

Patch will report on an . The meeting is not intended for the general public, Marks said.