Under direction of the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA), MD 355 (Rockville Pike) at Cedar Lane in Bethesda, Md., is receiving an intersection reconstruction to mitigate for a predicted rise in traffic due to the Federal Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Act. The road is located in Montgomery County. Currently, the average daily traffic is 64,000 vehicles per day.

According to Charlie Gischlar, SHA public information officer, the project consists of roadway and intersection improvements on MD 355 between Wilson Drive and Locust Hill Road, in the vicinity of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda. Major work includes construction of an additional through lane on northbound and southbound MD 355 south of the Cedar Lane intersection, two lanes of widening on West Cedar Lane and Cedar Lane, upgraded signalization at the MD 355 intersections with Wilson Drive, North Wood Road, and Cedar Lane and new signalization at the Cedar Lane intersection with Elmhirst Parkway.

The work will consist of grinding, resurfacing and widening southbound and northbound MD 355 to provide for an additional through lane south of the Cedar Lane intersection. Widening will be constructed on Cedar Lane and West Cedar Lane to replace a shared through/left turn lane with a separate through and left turn lane, as well as a right turn lane on West Cedar Lane.

“Two culverts will be replaced, one crossing MD 355 and one crossing Cedar Lane, to handle the 100 year and 50 year storms respectively, as well as construction of channel walls between the two culverts,” Gischlar said.

In addition, an entrance will be constructed for Stone Ridge School on MD 355 at Cedar Lane, and a retaining wall will be constructed to reduce impacts at Stone Ridge School and the National Institutes of Health.

Also included will be drainage improvements, storm water management and erosion and sediment controls, sidewalks, ADA compatible ramps, shared use path improvements and landscaping.

Traffic improvements will include signal and pedestrian signal upgrades at the MD 355 intersections with Wilson Drive, North Wood Road, and Cedar Lane, and a new signal and pedestrian signal at the Cedar Lane intersection with Elmhirst Parkway, as well as temporary signal work at each location. Work also will include signing, permanent pavement markings, utility relocation work, and pedestrian lighting.

“The project is 70 percent completed and should be wrapped up summer 2016, weather permitting,” Gishlar said.

Major equipment being utilized on the job includes excavators, bulldozers, gradealls, cranes, dump trucks, grinding machines, paving machines, rollers, chain saws, and chippers.

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