Cryptic Woodmont Avenue closure message puzzles Bethesda residents

A digital sign board placed on Woodmont Avenue between Elm Street and Bethesda Avenue has been displaying a message for several days. "Woodmont to be closed on or about 6/1/26." It doesn't specify why, for how long, or which segment of Woodmont it applies to. Over the last few days, I have combed through the Montgomery County Department of Transportation website news releases and projects page, and find no information about this closure. I've also reviewed the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center newsletters going back several weeks, and have found no mention of this. I asked MCDOT on X about the closure two days ago, and have not received a response as of this writing.

This will potentially be a major disruption to traffic in the Bethesda Row area and beyond. It will impact residents and businesses alike. And it is only a few days away. The public really needs to be informed by Montgomery County of the specifics of this closure.

More data collection devices popping up in downtown Bethesda

These traffic data collection devices that first appeared on Woodmont Avenue, near the Bethesda Metro Center, are now popping up in the Woodmont Triangle. Here is more equipment that has just been installed near the intersection of Woodmont and Cordell Avenue. Exactly what type of data is being collected, and for what purpose, is so far unclear.

Traffic count underway on Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda

Traffic count equipment has been set up on Woodmont Avenue in downtown Bethesda. It is on the stretch of Woodmont near The Chase and The Edge behind the Bethesda Metro Center. There's more than just a rubber strip across the road, however. More sophisticated equipment can collect data on traffic volume, direction, speed, turning counts, and vehicle classification.

Sidewalk work on Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda

Sidewalk work is underway on Woodmont Avenue in the vicinity of Bethesda Chocolates at 8003 Woodmont in Bethesda. Part of the sidewalk was closed Friday, but it was still possible to pass. A permit is posted at the site, regarding restoration of brick pavers to conform with downtown Bethesda streetscape guidelines. Construction Heroes of Rockville is the contractor performing the work.

Car jumps curb in Bethesda Row collision (Photos)

UPDATE - 3:24 PM: The Montgomery County Department of Transportation now also has a crew at the scene to replace the damaged pole and crossing signals. They are coordinating with Pepco.

An SUV left the road in a collision around noon today at the intersection of Bethesda Avenue and Woodmont Avenue in the Bethesda Row area. It crashed into a utility pole, causing damage to Pepco equipment. A bike crossing signal was toppled, and the Bethesda Urban Partnership information kiosk was sent flying, scattering visitor brochures over the sidewalk and Purple Line construction entrance.

Pepco is on-scene to make repairs to their equipment. Airbags deployed on the SUV, but Montgomery County police say there are no injuries to report from the crash at this time. Police advise avoiding the intersection for now, as Bethesda Avenue is closed between Woodmont and Wisconsin Avenue for cleanup and accident investigation.

Bike crossing signal toppled

Brochures scattered around the damaged
Bethesda Urban Partnership kiosk

Residents launch petition to stop WSSC's planned 5-month closure of Woodmont Avenue segment in Bethesda

Not long after the Woodmont Avenue block designated as a Bethesda Streatery reopened to traffic after a two-year closure, water utility WSSC is proposing to close the next two blocks for as long as five months. The WSSC needs to replace an aging 60" large valve vault in that area of downtown Bethesda. It has settled on a construction option that will require the closure of Woodmont between Bethesda Avenue and Wisconsin Avenue (MD 355) for 16 to 22 weeks, and subject nearby residents to water outages of up to 8 hours at a time. Needless to say, residents are not thrilled by this, and have created a petition asking the WSSC to reconsider the possible options for the project.

Top concerns for residents are lack of access for fire and rescue vehicles, impact on deliveries, possible violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and unsanitary conditions during extended water outages. It should also be noted that there is an ingress/egress for the Capital Crescent Trail public parking garage on one of those blocks. Should a fire or other emergency occur near the remaining access point, people and their cars could be trapped in the garage. Most of the impacted residents live in the apartment and condo buildings along Woodmont.

The concerns are amplified by the fact that many people work from home these days. There is also the unique configuration of The Darcy and Flats at Bethesda Avenue properties, which are connected to the very deep underground CCT parking garage. The petition mentions potential impacts on building stability, and that would probably extend to the garage, as well. 69 residents have signed the petition as of this morning.

Bethesda Streetery reopens on Woodmont Avenue (Photos)

The Bethesda Streetery has reopened on Woodmont Avenue, between Elm Street and Bethesda Avenue. It now features a reduced outdoor dining space, a protected bikeway, a short-term parking space for delivery drivers or takeout customers, and two lanes for automobile traffic. As I reported earlier this week, the orange barricades will soon be replaced with decorative planters. The new configuration is an attempt by the Montgomery County Department of Transportation to reach a compromise between residents who wanted the Streetery to continue, and drivers and business owners who wanted to restore auto access to the street, which has been closed for two years.

Destroyed pedestrian island signs replaced on Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda (Photos)

Signs on the pedestrian island at the crosswalk on Woodmont Avenue at Fairmont Avenue in Bethesda were wiped out by a reckless driver this past spring. As of yesterday, the signs have been replaced. They alert drivers to stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk. It is a busy but unsignalized intersection, where pedestrians are heading to and from Veterans Park, the 7-Eleven, the CVS Pharmacy, and the residential neigbhorhood of East Bethesda.

Woodmont Avenue bikeway construction update (Photos)

Work is already underway on the extension of the Bethesda Avenue bikeway onto Woodmont Avenue at Bethesda Row. The construction area has now been cordoned off along Woodmont. Concrete forms have been created for the islands that will protect the bike lanes from automobile traffic. The Streatery outdoor dining area on the roadway has been closed and cleared away.

Mystery road work on Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda (Photos)

There is some unannounced road work taking place on Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda this evening, between Norfolk Avenue and Old Georgetown Road. A crew is running some type of machinery over the pavement, and generating large clouds of dust. This stretch of Woodmont was just resurfaced and striped a few months ago, including a separated bikeway, so it's unclear why any maintenance would need to be performed here. Only one southbound lane is getting by the work on Woodmont, and if you just washed your car or are driving a convertible, I would take an alternate route.

Flexposts installed along new Woodmont Avenue bikeway in Bethesda (Photos)

The new bikeway along Woodmont Avenue between Norfolk Avenue and Old Georgetown Road got a lot safer to use on Thursday. A Montgomery County Department of Transportation crew installed flexposts along the 2-way cycle track yesterday. While the new automobile and bike lanes were striped a couple of months ago, the lack of physical barriers has meant drivers were sometimes using the bikeway as a right-turn lane onto Old Georgetown.

Marriott vehicles still blocking travel lane on Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda

Vehicles related to the Marriott International headquarters and hotel construction project were parked in the only northbound travel lane on Woodmont Avenue in front of the site for a second full day Tuesday. They included both work trucks and private cars, despite Marriott having its own garage on-site, and there being a public parking garage directly across the street. 

Vehicles using center turn lane
to get around parked vehicles in 
the actual northbound travel lane

Vehicles heading northbound were forced to move into the oncoming center turn lane, which switches direction halfway down, including large Metrobuses. The blockade began Monday with no public announcement, and no enforcement action has been taken by Montgomery County or police so far. Montgomery County's Department of Transportation recently reduced the number of travel lanes on this block of Woodmont to one in each direction, to facilitate the addition of a bikeway and center turning lane in front of Marriott.

Marriott construction vehicles block NB travel lane on Woodmont Avenue

Woodmont Avenue has recently been reduced to a two-lane street - with one vehicle lane in each direction - in front of the Marriott International headquarters and hotel site in downtown Bethesda. That made it somewhat shocking to find vehicles related to that construction project using the sole northbound travel lane as a parking lot yesterday morning. Even more shocking, was that the lane was blocked the rest of the day, even as the sun set Monday evening. All vehicles attempting to drive north on Woodmont were forced to drive into oncoming traffic, and any emergency vehicles like fire engines would have been unable to get by without even greater difficulty.

The fact that the vehicles were never directed to move nor ticketed has brought one of two issues to light. Either Montgomery County government has told its employees that such violations at the Marriott site are to be ignored. Or no police units traveled that block of Woodmont Avenue the entire day yesterday. The latter would be quite troubling at a time of rising crime in Bethesda. But the former is equally troubling.

Think about what would happen if you parked your car in the eastbound travel lane of Bethesda Avenue, and went into the Apple Store or Five Guys for an hour. How many minutes do you think your car would sit in the middle of the street before a police or traffic enforcement officer took action? How many violations would you be written up for, in parking(!) your vehicle in the only eastbound travel lane? How long would it take before your vehicle was towed away?

It should be also be noted that the Marriott property has its own off-street driveway, and its own parking garage. Yet work trucks and private vehicles were parked in the middle of the public roadway the entire day, and were allowed to stay despite breaking multiple traffic laws. Let's be clear - this is not a parking lane; there is no street parking lane on this block of Woodmont anymore. This was the actual, and only, northbound travel lane! Unreal.