Road work at intersection of River Road and Little Falls Parkway in Bethesda

Maryland State Highway Administration contractors were working at the intersection of River Road and Little Falls Parkway in Bethesda overnight. Traffic southbound on the parkway was forced to turn left onto River. That's quite a detour, as access from River to Massachusetts Avenue is artificially blocked all the way from the parkway to the D.C. line at Western Avenue. Heckuva job, Brownie! 

I can find no service bulletins or road closure notice related to this on the MDSHA website, but the work appeared to involve resurfacing. It would be nice to alert the public in advance, especially with the outrageous cost of vehicle registration in the state. Taxpayers recently ate the full cost of the flimsy flexposts along the bike lanes on River, as they apparently never considered things like snowplowing. We're coming up on a full decade of the newly-politicized "post-best-engineering-practices" MDSHA, and it shows.

Resurfacing on St. Elmo Avenue in Bethesda

Resurfacing work is underway on part of St. Elmo Avenue in downtown Bethesda. Milling has been performed between Old Georgetown Road and Norfolk Avenue. Watch for lane closures, especially at night. If you have a new car, you may want to take an alternative route at the moment.

MDSHA updating River Road bike lanes in Bethesda (Photos)

Maryland State Highway Administration contractors are updating the bike lanes along River Road between Brookside Drive and Little Falls Parkway in Bethesda. Single-lane closures will be implemented between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM, and overnight, between now and the end of October. New pavement markings and green surface paint are being applied to the lanes. Flexposts will be installed alongside the lanes.

Resurfacing of Hampden Lane underway in Bethesda

A resurfacing project is underway on Hampden Lane in downtown Bethesda between Bethesda Row and Arlington Road. The work crew was milling the street yesterday. Watch for lane closures and flagmen. If you have a new car or are concerned about scratches, you may want to avoid Hampden Lane at the moment.

MacArthur Boulevard lane closures expected through June 17 in Bethesda

Anticipate single-lane closures on two-lane MacArthur Boulevard in the Bethesda between today and June 17, 2024. The closures will be in the area between Goldsboro Road and Walhonding Road on weekdays between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Washington Aqueduct crews will be repairing the Old Conduit aqueduct, the 9' diameter tunnel that has been transporting water from the Potomac River to the Dalecarlia Reservoir since 1863. The Corps reports that inspections (see photo above) have raised structural integrity concerns, damage blamed on violations of vehicle weight restrictions on MacArthur Boulevard, which sits above the aqueduct.

Images courtesy USACE

Bike lane painting project to begin on Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda April 10

A Maryland State Highway Administration contractor will begin a bike lane painting project on Old Georgetown Road (MD 187) in Bethesda on Monday, April 10, 2023. Green paint for bike lanes will be applied to the road between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM, and during overnight hours if necessary. The project is expected to take two weeks to complete.

MD 355 resurfacing project begins near Pooks Hill in Bethesda (Photos)

Maryland State Highway Administration contractors have begun a resurfacing project on Rockville Pike (MD 355) north of downtown Bethesda. The nighttime work is currently taking place in the Pooks Hill area near Pooks Hill Road and Alta Vista Road. Last night, all lanes were closed except one. This follows a similar project last year on Old Georgetown Road. So if you want to avoid dings in your car's finish, you'll want to take Old Georgetown between Bethesda and Rockville, instead of Rockville Pike, for the near future.

Speed bumps to be installed on Little Falls Parkway in Bethesda

Westbard Square developer Regency Centers says its contractors will be installing speed bumps on Little Falls Parkway in Bethesda this week, and possibly into next week. Crews will close one lane at a time, and flaggers will direct traffic. The company says the bumps are being installed "for safety and in an effort to mitigate speeding violations." This is the first public announcement of this, and there has been no public process to discuss implementation of speed bumps on the parkway.

Pavement repainting on Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda continues overnight (Photos)

It appears the crew working on Woodmont Avenue was indeed correcting flawed paint on the recently-resurfaced section of the road between Norfolk Avenue and Old Georgetown Road, as one reader suggested last night. The men worked throughout the night, and just before dawn this morning, new directional arrows had been painted in the center turn lane. It's unclear if they've finished, or if they will return tonight.

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.

Wisconsin Avenue resurfacing blocks lanes in downtown Bethesda

A road resurfacing project is blocking some lanes tonight on Wisconsin Avenue (MD 355) between Chevy Chase Acura and the Bethesda Metro Center. Only one lane is open southbound, but there is also work in the northbound lanes.

MDOT working on Wisconsin Avenue at Bradley Boulevard last night (Photos)

A Maryland Department of Transportation crew was out on Wisconsin Avenue around the intersection with Bradley Boulevard late last night. Some southbound lanes were closed in that area. It was unclear what MDOT was doing, and none of their traffic advisory feeds or media alerts provided drivers any advance or real-time notice of the work.

New median at Wisconsin and Chase Avenues in Bethesda

Drivers on Wisconsin Avenue encountered lane closures near Chase Avenue during the evening rush hour Thursday night. A road crew was busy constructing a new median island at the intersection, which is right by a Chase Bank and the new 8001 Woodmont development. 

Resurfacing on Old Georgetown Road in downtown Bethesda (Video+Photos)

Paving contractor M.T. Laney of Eldersburg has begun work on Old Georgetown Road in downtown Bethesda. A convoy of vehicles rolled north past the TD Bank and set up for work between Arlington Road and Battery Lane. Hopefully they will be resurfacing the bumpy southbound lanes that have been covered with steel plates this year.

Clara Barton Parkway to be repaved starting July 27

The National Park Service will begin a major repaving project on Clara Barton Parkway on or about July 27, 2020. Contractors will repave the parkway between Carderock and Chain Bridge between then and the end of the year. Paving will begin at Carderock, and proceed eastward toward the District, according to Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center Director Ken Hartman.

Map of section to be
resurfaced; Lock 7 parking
closure shown in inset

NPS says the parking area will temporarily close at Lock 7 along the C&O Canal. The project will also include installing new signage, painting brighter/clearer lane lines and striping, reconfiguring lanes, and trimming vegetation that is close to the road.

Expect non-rush hour lane closures, as well as temporary, 2-week ramp closures. Signs will direct you to the next available exit ramp. The Federal Highway Administration is partnering with the NPS on the project.

Temporary lane closures at Chevy Chase Circle to begin July 6

Drivers on Connecticut Avenue and Western Avenue should prepare for potential lane closures at Chevy Chase Circle starting Monday, July 6, 2020. The District Department of Transportation has given a contractor permission to close lanes for roadway repairs between next Monday and July 27, 2020. Road work and lane closures will occur Monday through Friday from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM, and Saturday from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM.