Purple Line substation to be installed in East Bethesda December 13

The installation of a traction power substation for the future Purple Line light rail system will require lane closures on Montgomery Avenue in east downtown Bethesda on December 13, 2023. Watch for flagging operations that day on Montgomery Avenue between Pearl Street and East-West Highway. The lane closures are anticipated to occur between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM. This date could change due to inclement weather.

New traffic pattern for Montgomery Avenue in Bethesda set to begin October 24

The traffic pattern on Montgomery Avenue east of Wisconsin Avenue (MD 355) will change on or about October 24, 2022. Digital billboards have been posted on Montgomery Lane to announce the change. They do not specify what the new traffic pattern will be, however. Protected bike lanes were recently installed on the street, alongside the new Avocet Tower development and AC Hotel by Marriott.

Montgomery Avenue bikeway progress in downtown Bethesda (Photos)

The new Montgomery Avenue bikeway has been striped alongside the Avocet Tower development in downtown Bethesda, between Wisconsin Avenue and Waverly Street. It features a lane in each direction, and is mostly protected and separated from vehicle traffic by concrete islands. 

The bikeway will eventually extend west onto Montgomery Lane during construction of two new highrises there, and connect with bike lanes on Woodmont Avenue. This segment on Montgomery Avenue is on-schedule, as completion was anticipated in FY-2023, which began last month.

Montgomery Avenue will be closed for half of Saturday in Bethesda (Photos)

There's been a lot of roadwork on Montgomery Avenue in recent weeks. And there's more on the way. Montgomery Avenue will be closed at Wisconsin Avenue (MD 355) tomorrow (Saturday), November 7, from 12:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

The newest front in the War on Pedestrians in downtown Bethesda (Photo)

Just last Thursday, I brought you the story of the sidewalk debacle currently ongoing along East-West Highway in downtown Bethesda. Now, another reader has brought an issue just down Montgomery Avenue from there to light.

Jeanne McCann says work and delivery trucks park on the sidewalk daily outside the Topaz House, across Montgomery Avenue from the health club. The gap left open between the trucks and building is not a sidewalk width considered sufficient for pedestrians and wheelchairs to pass along.

Photo by Jeanne McCann

RIGHT LANE OF NB WISCONSIN AVENUE CLOSED NORTH OF ELM STREET TO MONTGOMERY AVENUE IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

It appears work crews are setting up for another night of utility work in downtown Bethesda. There's also a truck parked on Montgomery Avenue.

NIGHTTIME UTILITY WORK IN DOWNTOWN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

Last night, Verizon appeared to be doing some major work in downtown Bethesda, requiring digging and lane closures.

The right lane of northbound Wisconsin Avenue was closed between Montgomery Avenue and East-West Highway. And one lane of Montgomery Lane was closed between Tommy Joe's and the 2nd District police station.

Just something to be aware of when driving in that area, in case they haven't finished the work yet.

PEARL ST. TO BE ONE WAY DURING CONSTRUCTION AT FORMER BETHESDA MCDONALD'S SITE AT 4500 EAST-WEST HIGHWAY (PHOTO)

Pearl Street, between East-West Highway and Montgomery Avenue  in downtown Bethesda, will become a one-way street during construction of a Class A office building at the former McDonald's location.

According to the developer of 4500 East-West Highway, the southbound lane of Pearl Street will be closed indefinitely "on or about" February 18, 2013.

For the duration of the building construction, Pearl Street will be a one-way, southbound-only street. Drivers will be unable to turn left onto Pearl from Montgomery Avenue.

Reader Diarmaid McGleenan submitted this aerial-view photo of the former East-West Highway McDonald's site.  The restaurant was demolished a while ago.  At the top of the lot is the auger that just finished drilling for the installation of the steel I-beams you see around the perimeter of the growing hole.

The excavation machine is already filling dump trucks, and eventually a crane will arrive onsite.

NEW SPEED CAMERAS COMING TO DOWNTOWN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

Workers in unmarked white vans appeared to be putting the finishing touches on several pole-mounted cameras in the median of Wisconsin Avenue near Montgomery Avenue.

A Bethesda real estate agent tells me that intersection, among many others along state highways in Bethesda, is scheduled to have new speed cameras installed now or in the future.

Other routes targeted include River Road.

Google Street View records show a different type of camera at the 355-Montgomery intersection than those now being installed.

My photos show the new cameras and one of the mystery vans working Sunday evening at the intersection.

We have to assume their camera-revenue department works faster than their sidewalk repair department.