Right lane of Old Georgetown Rd. between Wisconsin, Woodmont to close Oct. 11 until Feb. 2024

Clark Construction is preparing to begin work on the redevelopment of the La Madeleine property at 7607 Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda. The Bethesda-based firm announced yesterday that the project will require a lengthy closure of the right lane of Old Georgetown between Wisconsin and Woodmont Avenues. Pedestrian access along that side of the street will be facilitated through the closed right lane.

The lane will close on or about October 11, 2021, and will remain closed to vehicular traffic through February 2024, weather permitting. Developer Washington Property Company is building a 225' tall residential building with ground floor retail, which will carry the firm's Solaire branding.

Lane closure on Chevy Chase Lake Drive April 1-4

Starting Monday, April 1, 2019, the westbound lane of Chevy Chase Lake Drive is scheduled to partially close at Connecticut Avenue. The lane closure is expected to last as long as until April 4, depending on weather conditions. Purple Line construction contractors will be installing an "overhead pole" related to the light rail project. Flaggers will assist motorists during the work on Chevy Chase Lake Drive.

Sidewalk at 7900 Wisconsin Ave. closed through Nov. 30, lane closure ahead

Add another construction-related sidewalk closure in downtown Bethesda to the list. The sidewalk in front of 7900 Wisconsin Avenue has closed. According to the posted sidewalk closure notice, it will remain closed at the JBG Smith construction site through November 30. Give the company credit for actually posting the required closure information sign - many construction sites around town in recent years have failed to do so.

The curb lane will also close for construction staging and site access for an unspecified length of time, sure to add to the commuting woes on already-jammed Wisconsin. Workers will demolish the existing sidewalk and covered pedestrian shelter during this next phase of construction.

Right SB lane of Wisconsin Ave. closed at Marriott HQ site (Photos)

The right southbound lane of Wisconsin Avenue (MD 355) has been closed alongside the Marriott headquarters construction site south of Norfolk Avenue in Bethesda. Barriers have been placed at the edge of the lane to allow pedestrians to use the curb lane in lieu of the sidewalk, but only when demolition work is not active. However, pedestrian use will be barred during actual demolition near the street. The closures are scheduled to last more than two months, which will have a severe impact on both pedestrians and commuter auto traffic in the morning.

Deadly Bethesda sidewalk closure returns, with County Council's blessing (Video + photos)

The Montgomery County Council knows that thousands of pedestrians will enter the busy roadway in the 7200 block of Wisconsin Avenue over (at least) the next six months - and frankly, my dear, they don't give a damn. Despite white knuckle videos like these that were captured last evening in front of the Apex Building, the Council folded like a card table under pressure from the developer and State Highway Administration, allowing the unprecedented closure of the sidewalk and a full lane of the jammed commuter route. After the barricades were removed for a few weeks, they returned Thursday, sending impatient pedestrians into the roadway against oncoming traffic.

Watch a car zip past a pedestrian with inches to spare in the above video. And there's plenty more where that came from. This is an untenable situation, brought to you by the same clowns who claimed they were making a goal of zero pedestrian deaths. Total hypocrisy. Once again, you must pay attention not to what this Council says, but what they do (or don't do, in this case).

The closure is related to the demolition of the Apex Building at 7272 Wisconsin Avenue, despite the fact that cities such as New York do not permit such seizures of public sidewalks and roadways during construction. While the County Council claimed to have passed two different laws to prevent sidewalk closures, they have proven to be laws as impotent as the Council itself.

Another near miss; all of these
just within a few minutes on the
first day of the closure

Dangerous Wisconsin Ave. sidewalk/lane closure reopens in Bethesda (Photos)

A victory for pedestrians along the 7200 block of Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda: Barricades that had closed off the sidewalk and one southbound lane of the busy state highway two weeks ago were removed yesterday. Montgomery County officials only learned of the closure from my report on June 16, despite being partners in the 7272 Wisconsin megaproject with developer Carr Properties, and the state of Maryland. 

While the County Council proved impotent in reversing the closure, the reopening comes days after my report showing pedestrians walking in the roadway, into oncoming traffic, to get around the blockade. The lack of oversight by the Council in such a critical project is eerily reminiscent of their mismanagement of the Silver Spring Transit Center construction process, raising concerns among many.

NEW TRAFFIC-SIGNALED INTERSECTION BEING CREATED ON ARLINGTON ROAD (PHOTOS)

Utility workers are installing traffic signals, and creating a new controlled intersection in the middle of Arlington Road between Bethesda Avenue and Bradley Boulevard. The new intersection is part of the approved plan for the mixed-use residential/Ourisman Volkswagen project at 7001 Arlington Road, currently under construction where the U.S. Post Office once stood. A new driveway entrance into that development will comprise one side of the new intersection; the other will be an existing curb cut into the Bradley Shopping Center near Strosniders Hardware.

One of the new signal arms
can be seen in this photo
taken yesterday, before the
utility crews arrived

Crossing Arlington has always been a challenge there, with the long distance between crosswalks. In recent months, sidewalk closures along the construction site have created a deadly situation, with pedestrians entering the roadway as speeding cars burst around the blind curve just south of the site. While most traffic will use the southern driveway into 7001, the old "post office" driveway will remain accessible to trucks making deliveries to the building and auto dealership. It's unknown if the Volkwagen dealership will have to block a lane of Arlington when cars are delivered, as happens across the street at EuroMotorcars. 

The intersection is part of 7001's site plan, designed to promote the pedestrian safety and traffic circulation goals recommended by the Bethesda Central Business District master plan. Why is it going up before the building is finished? Because the county is requiring the traffic signals to be operational before it will issue an occupancy permit for the building.

Once on-scene last night,
they shut down the right
lane on the CVS side of
Arlington Road

Crossing Arlington Road has
not been very convenient

Driving in and out of the
Bradley Shopping Center
may also get easier with
the new signal

1 NB LANE OF WISCONSIN AVENUE WILL BE CLOSED TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY, AUGUST 9

Montgomery County Councilmember Roger Berliner reports that, starting today, one northbound lane of Wisconsin Avenue (MD 355) will be closed between Dorset Avenue and Grafton Street in Chevy Chase. The lane will remain closed - at all hours - through Saturday, August 9, for utility work by Verizon.

Councilmember Berliner suggests factoring that into your commuting time, delays those who have sat in jams during previous work further north on Wisconsin will no doubt find familiar.

PEPCO LANE CLOSURE ON MD 355 IN DOWNTOWN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

The center lane of southbound Wisconsin Avenue (MD 355) is currently closed between Elm Street and Bethesda Avenue in downtown Bethesda.

Pepco crews are on scene performing utility work.

PEPCO WORK ON DEMOCRACY BOULEVARD IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

Pepco was performing repairs along westbound Democracy Boulevard near Old Georgetown Road early tonight. Crews appeared to be set up for substantial work.

The right lane was closed near DSW.

VERIZON RETURNS! R LANE OF NB WISCONSIN AVE. CLOSED NEAR BETHESDA AVENUE (PHOTOS)

Verizon utility work has closed the right lane of northbound MD 355 in downtown Bethesda near Bethesda Avenue and Willow Lane.

The work began just a little while ago.

2 LANES OF NB 355 CLOSED BY WALTER REED IN BETHESDA, UTILITY WORK IN DOWNTOWN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

The same right lane closures on northbound Wisconsin Avenue, and Montgomery Avenue, are in effect tonight.

But it gets worse just north of town, where 2 lanes of NB 355 are closed for road work between Jones Bridge Road and Cedar Lane.

LANE CLOSURES AGAIN FOR UTILITY WORK IN DOWNTOWN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

Tonight, the right lane of northbound Wisconsin Avenue (Rt. 355) is closed at Montgomery Avenue by the police station.

Two lanes of Montgomery Lane are closed by Tommy Joe's.

LANE CLOSURES IN DOWNTOWN BETHESDA TONIGHT (PHOTO)

The right lane of northbound Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda is closed between the Air Rights Center and the police station.

One lane is also closed on Montgomery Avenue.

Utility-related work is responsible for the closures.

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.