SILVER SPRING, Md. – Some of the area’s most congested commuter routes will suffer longer backups during the construction of the 16-mile Purple Line, a light rail project that will link New Carrollton and Bethesda.
Project officials say construction will reduce the number of lanes on major roads, including Georgia Avenue, Colesville Road, 16th Street, East-West Highway, University Boulevard, Connecticut Avenue, Riverdale Road and Veterans Parkway.
Periodic lane closures will be required to build Purple Line bridges, or install tracks in new pavement, according to plans reported by The Washington Post.
Most of the traffic effects will be felt in downtown Silver Spring and to the east, since the western 3-mile segment on the Purple Line will be built along the Georgetown Branch Trail.
However, blasting will be needed in Silver Spring to build a tunnel between Wayne Avenue and Arliss Street, in the Long Branch area east of Georgia Avenue.
The project is being built as a public-private partnership between construction companies known as Purple Line Transit Partners and the Maryland Transit Administration.
Lane closures are expected to be in full swing by early next year — construction of the Purple Line is expected to take between four and five years.
Small business owners express concern that extended construction zones will hamper their business.
Project organizers say residents and business owners will still have access to driveways, even when streets are closed.
