UPDATE: Lane Closures Planned For Charles Street Bridge Construction

It has to get worse before it gets better.

CLARIFICATION: The northbound right-turn only lane between the Joppa Road overpass and ending at Kenilworth Drive/Bellona Ave. will be closed for eight weeks, as crews continue to widen the Charles Street bridge, the State Highway Administration announced in a release. 

 "This is the lane people use to turn from northbound Charles onto Kenilworth Drive, going east towards the mall and apartments, etc.," Fran Ward, an SHA community liasson, wrote in an email.

The right lane, headed toward Lutherville from the Ruxton/Towson area will be closed Monday morning at 9 a.m. The temporary closure will last 24 hours a day for eight weeks, weather permitting. 

"SHA urges motorists to plan ahead for extra travel time on northbound Charles Street during peak travel hours," the release states.

Bridge improvements are on scheduled and are expected to be completed this summer.

"SHA has done this same lane closure in the past, but only as a temporary/daily closure," Ward continued. "Now the contractor needs to do the roadway widening on this section as we get closer to the completion of the entire interchange project."

From the release:

"The State’s contractor for the $38 million interchange reconstruction project is the Six-M Company of Delta, Pennsylvania.  Citizens who have questions about traffic operations along I-695 and Charles Street may call the project field office at 410-296-9041 or SHA’s District Four Office Construction Division at 410-229-2420 or toll free at 1-866-998-0367.  Citizens may view the I-695/Charles Street project web page on SHA’s website, www.roads.maryland.gov."

How does ongoing bridge construction and improvement effect your day-to-day commute? Have you changed your route as a result of congestion? Tell us in the comments section below. 

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Clarification: This article has been updated to more accurately reflect the lane that will be closed on Monday. Patch regrets any confusion caused to readers.