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President Joe Biden’s arrival in Baltimore on Monday will likely cause traffic downtown, city transportation officials said. Some Maryland Transit Administration bus and light rail routes will be impacted, and a route on the Charm City Circulator will be detoured in preparation.
Biden plans to tout federal funding to replace the roughly 150-year-old Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel, a project the administration says will address the largest bottleneck for rail commuters between Washington, D.C., and New Jersey. Gov. Wes Moore and Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller will deliver remarks alongside Biden at the passage, now known as the Frederick Douglass Tunnel.
The Democratic president’s Baltimore stop is part of a two-day trip showcasing funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Biden’s arrival will likely create its own bottlenecks for city motorists. Baltimore transportation officials warn that road closures and temporary traffic stops could create heavy backups throughout downtown between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Traffic is expected to extend beyond the central business district. The Charm City Circulator’s Banner Route will be detoured. Some streets will have parking restrictions.
The following roadways will be affected:
- Fort Avenue – Richardson Street to Fort McHenry.
- Andre Street – Fort Avenue to McComas Street.
- McComas Street.
- Interstate 95 South in Baltimore City.
- I-395.
- Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
- Howard Street.
- North Avenue – Howard Street to Charles Street.
- Maryland Avenue – West 19th Street to Falls Road.
- Trenton Street – Falls Road to Morton Street.
- Lafayette Street – Falls Road to Morton Street.
- 1800 Block Falls Road to Maryland Avenue.
The transportation department encourages motorists to plan ahead if traveling in the downtown vicinity Monday. Vehicles parked in restricted areas will be ticketed and towed.
The Charm City Circulator Banner Route will be detoured from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Andre Street stop #410 and the Fort McHenry stop #411 will be affected. The detour starts on southbound Fort Avenue and will turn left onto Decatur Street, right on Clement Street, right on Hull Street, and right onto Fort Avenue to resume the normal route, city transportation officials said. Riders can use the Towson Street stop #412 during the detour. Additional information can be found on the Charm City Circulator’s webpage.
Some MDOT MTA bus and light rail services will also be affected. The transportation department advises riders to visit the MDOT MTA website for additional details.