Westbound Hatem bridge closing Friday night
I'm going to just pass along the following news release from the Maryland Transportation Authority, with one question: Does it make sense to set up a detour that puts more cars on Interstate 95 the night before the Preakness?
Teri Moss, an authority spoeswoman, said it wouldn't be a problem. She said the administrator for that region assured her that all lanes on the U.S. 40 bridge will be open by 5 a.m. so the work shouldn’t affect people heading to Baltimore for the Preakness. She said people heading to Baltimore before 5 a.m. won't have much impact because the traffic counts are low during those hours.
Let's hope that's right.
WESTBOUND HATEM BRIDGE TRAFFIC TO BE DETOURED TEMPORARILY OVERNIGHT
WHAT: Weather permitting, the westbound lane of the Thomas J. Hatem Memorial Bridge (US 40) will be closed to westbound traffic and utilized for eastbound travelers.
WHEN: Friday, May 15, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Saturday, May 16, crews will close the westbound direction of the bridge and detour westbound traffic. The detour route will direct motorists to northbound MD 222, to southbound Interstate 95, to eastbound MD 155, to westbound US 40. Eastbound traffic may be held at approximately 8:30 p.m. for 30 minutes to set barrier walls that will separate traffic from the work area. At approximately 9 p.m., the bridge will be open to eastbound traffic. Westbound traffic will continue to be detoured.
While eastbound traffic is being held, eastbound motorists may wish to take MD 155, to northbound I-95, to southbound MD 222, to eastbound US 40. At approximately 4:30 a.m. Saturday, crews may again hold traffic to remove and reset barrier walls. All lanes are anticipated to be open by 5 a.m. Please note there is no toll on southbound I-95.
WHY: Crews will be repairing the bridge deck.
For Hatem Bridge traffic conditions 24/7, call 1-888-MDTA-411 (638-2411). For information on the Hatem Bridge Preservation Project and to sign up for email alerts, visit hatembridge.com. The Authority appreciates motorists’ patience and reminds them to Stay Alert So No One Gets Hurt!
Comments
"Sense" is an oxymoron even in the same sentence with a state agency!
Posted by: Eve | May 13, 2009 1:55 PM
"Does it make sense to set up a detour that puts more cars on Interstate 95 the night before the Preakness?"
Huh? Considering that Rt. 40 is pretty much the local road across the river, I'm not sure why the detour would be a big deal. Folks detoured around the bridge would likely link back to Rt. 40 anyway. There's no southbound toll at the Perryville plaza, so it's no clear to my why you think a minor detour 30 miles to the north of the northside I-95/I-695 interchange and 40 miles north of downtown Baltimore could wreak major havoc during off-peak hours.
Posted by: Pete | May 14, 2009 12:18 PM