Washington Gas on-scene for Day 2 of the Big Dig in Bethesda's Veterans Park (Photos)

Day 2 brought confirmation that the "Big Dig" taking place in downtown Bethesda's Veterans Park is related to a natural gas line. Washington Gas had a crew at the scene Friday, joining the teams from NPL Construction and Badger Infrastructure Solutions. Badger is a firm that specializes in hydrovac excavation to daylight underground utilities, and for trenching, both of which have been performed in Veterans Park over the last two days. 

Washington Gas works overnight on Arlington Road in Bethesda

Washington Gas worked overnight on its utilities beneath Arlington Road in Bethesda. The work zone was in the vicinity of the Hampden Lane intersection, closing lanes on both streets. Two weeks ago, a major gas leak on Norfolk Avenue required a multi-day response from the utility.

Washington Gas still working on gas leak repair in Bethesda (Photos)

The gas leak on Norfolk Avenue in Bethesda that forced an evacuation of the vicinity Friday night was apparently a major one. A Washington Gas crew is still working on-scene as of this hour, about 41-and-a-half-hours after the leak was first detected. Norfolk Avenue's roadway between Cordell and St. Elmo Avenues remains closed. The story, which initially drew heavy media coverage that included a helicopter on Friday night, has dropped out of the news over the weekend, but it's clearly not over yet.

Washington Gas works overnight to repair gas leak in Bethesda (Photos)

Sometimes the street has something to say about the Streetery. A gas leak at Norfolk Avenue near Cordell Avenue in Bethesda around 7:30 PM last night disrupted dinner plans for many. The area was evacuated by Montgomery County first responders as a precaution. A Washington Gas crew continued to make repairs over the night into this morning. The Bethesda Streetery section of Norfolk, which had been closed for a concert and outdoor dining Friday evening, remained closed to traffic as work continued.

Washington Gas repairs leak in downtown Bethesda (Photos)

A gas leak on Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda snarled traffic at the height of rush hour Thursday evening, February 1, 2024. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service personnel responded to a report of a leak at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue shortly before 6:00 PM last night. Washington Gas requested that firefighters evacuate the high-rise office building as a safety precaution.

The location of the leak was eventually determined to be under Wisconsin Avenue near the building, MCFRS spokesperson Pete Piringer said. Streets were blocked off, causing traffic jams around the busy crossroads with Old Georgetown Road and East-West Highway. A Washington Gas crew was still working around midnight to wrap up the repair of the faulty pipe. 

Washington Gas to work on Elm Street in Bethesda Tuesday morning

Washington Gas will be working on Elm Street by the new CVS Pharmacy at Wisconsin Avenue tomorrow morning, June 6, 2023. There will be no parking on that part of the street between 8:00 and 11:00 AM, so it sounds like it will be a brief project. The natural gas utility, and its contractors, have been performing extensive work on its underground infrastructure in downtown Bethesda - especially in the Woodmont Triangle - over the last year. Even if you don't plan to park here, you may want to navigate around this block Tuesday morning.

Washington Gas project is reason for River Road lane closure starting May 31

There's finally some context for the vague message regarding a lane closure on River Road in Bethesda on a Maryland State Highway Administration digital signboard. Washington Gas is preparing to replace a valve under River Road starting June 5, 2023. Contrary to the SHA signs citing Western Avenue as the starting point of the closure, the work area will actually be the southbound lanes of River Road (MD 190) between Brookdale Road and Western Avenue. 

The project is expected to take 6-8 weeks to complete. Work will be performed between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM Monday through Saturday. One lane in each direction will be open to traffic at all times during the project. Left turns from southbound River to eastbound Western Avenue will be restricted, as will left turns from northbound River to Brookdale Road. Follow signage and flagmen direction at all times during the project. You may want to take an alternate route in and out of the District during this time.

Washington Gas working on Rugby Avenue in Bethesda

A major Washington Gas project continues in the Woodmont Triangle area of downtown Bethesda. Last night, a crew was digging on Rugby Avenue near Woodmont Avenue. All businesses in the area remain open.

Washington Gas Woodmont Triangle project continues (Photos)

A major Washington Gas utility project continued in the Woodmont Triangle neighborhood of downtown Bethesda Thursday. Washington Gas employees closed off Fairmont Avenue between Wisconsin and Woodmont Avenues Thursday afternoon to dig under the street. By mid-evening, the work on Fairmont had ended. Be prepared for lane or street closures in the Woodmont Triangle area, as the project continues.

Washington Gas project continues in Woodmont Triangle

A major Washington Gas utility project continued to progress in the Woodmont Triangle neighborhood of downtown Bethesda yesterday. Contractor NPL was on-site on Woodmont Avenue near Veterans Park on Tuesday. Watch for lane closures and flagmen in that area.

Washington Gas project in Bethesda's Woodmont Triangle (Photos)

Watch for lane closures on Cordell and St. Elmo Avenues in downtown Bethesda. Washington Gas and its contractor, NPL, began a utility project on both streets in the Woodmont Triangle neighborhood yesterday. Flagmen were directing traffic.

Washington Gas project to close EB lane of River Road near DC line in Bethesda starting Oct. 15

Expect traffic delays on inbound River Road near the D.C. line in Bethesda starting on October 15, 2022, and lasting approximately 4-6 weeks. Washington Gas will be replacing a natural gas valve located under the eastbound lanes of River Road between Brookdale Road and Western Avenue. Work on the project will take place Mondays-Saturdays from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, which will likely have a significant impact on morning rush hour traffic, as only one of the inbound lanes will remain open on that stretch.

Washington Gas has also requested a noise waiver from Montgomery County, as work will be around the clock in the final 1-3 days of the project in late November. Residents along the work area can expect the project to be noisy at times. Access to all bus stops on River is expected to be maintained throughout the project. The project timeline could be impacted by weather conditions.

2 SB lanes of Wisconsin Ave. to close at Elm St. tonight in Bethesda for emergency gas repair

Washington Gas will close two southbound lanes of Wisconsin Avenue (MD 355) in downtown Bethesda between Elm Street and Miller Avenue tonight, April 6, 2022, for an emergency gas valve repair. The closure will take place between 9:00 PM tonight and 5:00 AM tomorrow morning. Proceed carefully through the work zone, and watch for any flagger instructions.

Sangamore Road closures expected through April for pipeline replacement

A major natural gas pipeline replacement project on Sangamore Road near Walhonding Road in Bethesda will require lane and road closures on that stretch of Sangamore through mid-April. Washington Gas and contractor NPL will be performing the work between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM on weekdays, which is when those closures will take place as-needed.

Area impacted by pipeline project and
Sangamore Road detour (Massachusetts Ave.
shown in yellow) - click to enlarge

During the closures, drivers will have to detour from Massachusetts Avenue onto Marlyn Drive to make a right onto Namakagan Road, and then turn back onto Sangamore from Namakagan. Orange directional signs are now in place along the detour route. Sangamore Road drivers trying to reach Massschusetts Avenue will complete the detour route in reverse order by turning onto Namakagan.

Washington Gas work continues in downtown Bethesda (VIdeo+Photos)

Washington Gas continues to work on Wisconsin Avenue near the Bethesda Metro station, but the nighttime lane closures were reduced to one lane in each direction last night. The crew was drilling in the median of the road this time.

Washington Gas working on Wisconsin Avenue (Photos)

 A Washington Gas project shut down two lanes of southbound Wisconsin Avenue last night, just north of the intersection with East-West Highway and Old Georgetown Road. This is not related to nearby construction projects. Washington Gas and the WSSC are both working on their own infrastructure projects right now around downtown Bethesda.