Traffic Woes: Liberty Rd to on June 28, 2010 (Baltimore, MD)

You've got to be kidding me. The state is gonna shutdown Liberty Road on Monday, June 28th? Talk about a traffic headache. This is going to be a nightmare. It is a part of a major construction project at the interchange of I-695 and Liberty Road.According to their website, Maryland's State Highway Administration (SHA) is replacing the eight-lane bridge that extends I-695 over Liberty Road. If you drive past the Lochearn/Randallstown section of the Baltimore region, I am sure you've seen the construction as SHA has been working in that area since April, 2010.

Their plan is to temporarily close the right-turn loop ramp from eastbound Liberty Road to northbound I-695 around 7pm. Then, SHA crews will activate a new traffic signal and open a new double left-turn ramp to provide temporary access from eastbound Liberty Road to northbound I-695. How much do you want to bet that all of this will result in frustration for each and every driver? That section of town is always bustling with a lot of traffic throughout the evening hours. Traffic there doesn't calm down until about 11:30p. Hopefully the word gets out quickly and folks simply try to avoid the area. Sometime around 5am Tuesday morning (June 29th), SHA crews will restore the normal traffic pattern. SHA officials noted that if there's inclement weather, the ramp relocation will take place during the next possible weeknight.

To make matters worse, Baltimore County's Department of Public Works revealed their plans to close Sussex Road between Buckingham Road & Liberty Road for sewer repairs on the same day. Given that this is just down the street from the I-695 interchange, I am sure it will cause even more headaches for the local residents as well as motorists that try to navigate around the congestion that is sure to be the result of the state's construction work. Fortunately, SHA will only be working on the bridge overpass for one night. Baltimore County doesn't expect to re-open Sussex Road until August 28th. Who knew it took that long to fix the sewer???