BOWIE, Md. – Next week, the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) will begin improvements to MD 3 (Crain Highway) between Forest Drive and Sylvan Drive in Bowie. The $2.9 million project will be complete late fall 2019.
The half-mile project will:
· Increase the turning radius at the southbound MD 3/Forest Drive intersection;
· Extend acceleration and deceleration lanes using the outside shoulder of southbound MD 3;
· Provide right-in/right-out access to Forest Drive and left-in only access to the median crossover;
· Provide a marked bicycle lane on southbound MD 3;
· Upgrade drainage inlets and storm water management facilities; and
· Patch, mill, pave and restripe all travel lanes in the project limits.
Motorists can expect single lane closures on MD 3 Mondays through Fridays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and Sundays through Thursdays between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. Additional work hours and lane closures may be necessary to expedite all phases of work and keep the project on schedule. MDOT SHA’s contractor, Congressional Contracting, Inc. of Potomac, will guide traffic through the work zone using, barrels, cones and arrow boards.
Approximately 67,000 vehicles use this section of Crain Highway daily, so motorists should expect delays during work hours. Drivers may consider using MD 450 (Annapolis Road) to MD 197 (Collington Road) or to MD 424 (Davidsonville Road) as alternate routes.
While MDOT SHA and its transportation partners work hard to maintain safe traffic mobility in work zones, each driver needs to actively modify his or her driving style to help prevent crashes. Stay alert and look for reduced speed limits, narrow driving lanes and highway workers. Slow down and don’t follow too closely. Work Zone Safety is in Your Hands. For a list of all major MDOT SHA projects, click on Road Ready, MDOT SHA’s electronic construction brochure. For a look at real-time commute conditions, log onto www.md511.org.