Alternating closures of the two northbound bores of the Fort McHenry Tunnel will continue for the foreseeable future during off-peak traffic periods as crews continue emergency repairs to underground sump pump discharge and water lines, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority.
"We don't put our workers down in that area when there's live traffic," said Bruce Gartner, the MdTA's executive director. "These are spaces kind of under the road surface or right next to it, and sometimes we'll be physically accessing or doing work in the road way."
Gartner said the agency, which operates the state's toll facilities, does not have an estimate for when the work will be completed, but he is "hopeful that we can find the issue and remedy it pretty quickly."
The tunnel carries Interstate 95 traffic below Baltimore's harbor. Tunnel maintenance crews first found a broken sump pump and "potentially clogged water discharge line" under the righthand northbound tube on Sunday, the MdTA said.
As repairs began, they also found a broken water line under the lefthand northbound tube.
Gartner said crews have worked through repairs on the sump pump, but are still working on the discharge and water lines.
The problems, likely caused by the region's recent cold temperatures, are not impacting the structural integrity of the roadway or the tunnel, Gartner said.
Both bores will be open to traffic during the morning and evening rush hours, but commuters can still expect some delays approaching the tunnel and should consider taking alternate routes, including the Key Bridge and the Harbor Tunnel, the MdTA said.
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