The State Highway Administration will remove older steel girders from the Route 1/Washington Boulevard Bridge in Halethorpe, starting next week.
The work is part of a $26 million project to replace the bridge, according to a news release from SHA.
The new structure will be 120 feet longer and 4 feet higher to enable CSX Transportation to add future rail lines and a rail maintenance service lane. Built in 1929, the steel girder bridge is safe for travel but has outlived its useful service life, SHA states.
Removal of the older girders is expected to be complete next week by 5 a.m. Nov. 19., the release states.
From Monday night through Tuesday morning, contracted crews from Lane Construction Inc. of Glen Burnie will implement a temporary closure and detour at Washington Boulevard between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m.
During the closure, motorists traveling at Washington Boulevard should use the following detour routes:
- Route 1 northbound — Motorists can take I-195 West to I-95 North past I-695, take the ramp onto Caton Avenue South to continue on Caton Avenue, and turn right onto Route 1 Alternate (Washington Boulevard).
- Route 1 southbound — Motorists can turn right onto Selma Avenue to Francis Avenue, turn right onto Selford Road to South Rolling Road, and turn right onto I-195 East to Route 1.
- Clarke Boulevard to Route 1 — Motorists can take Clarke Boulevard onto Selford Road to Francis Avenue bridge to Ridge Avenue, and continue to Route 1 and turn left onto Route 1.
- Route 1 to Clarke Boulevard — Motorists can take Tom Day Boulevard from Route 1, a second left onto Carville Avenue, a right onto Francis Avenue, a left onto Selford Avenue, and proceed to Clarke Boulevard.
Following the Monday night closure, crews will continue the work schedule Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday between 7:30 p.m. and 5 a.m. the next morning. However, the bridge will remain open to all traffic with temporary lane closures.
The entire project is expected to be complete by fall 2022. Approximately 18,200 vehicles travel on the Washington Boulevard section of Route 1 between the I-195 interchange and Clarke Boulevard each day, according to SHA.