Roadwork is set to begin on I-895 at the end of this month and will cause significant traffic issues for the next three years until construction is complete.
The Maryland Transportation Authority is performing $189M in repair work to the bridge just north of the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel. The bridge is scheduled to be closed on the northbound side as repair work starts on November 27th, and the two southbound lanes will be converted to a two-way road. The opposite will take effect on the northbound side after the repair work has finished around the spring of 2020.
In addition, repair work is scheduled for the Holabird Avenue exit ramp and the Harbor Tunnel. The state has spend about $1.5M each year for the past four years to patch up the bridge, but the repairs do not address the failing infrastructure.
A representative of the MTA says that while narrowing the highway for construction versus complete closures at night will undoubtedly cause more traffic issues, the railroad system the passes underneath the bridge does not have the luxury of being able to be closed. According to the representative, the tunnel repair work will be completed two years quicker than complete nightly closures.
Photo: Getty Images