Editor’s Note: All lanes reopened on the Outer Loop of the Beltway at Connecticut Avenue shortly after 3 p.m. on Saturday.
WASHINGTON — A work zone will cause significant delays on the Beltway in Montgomery County this weekend, and the work won’t just be happening at night.
The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration plans to block three out of four lanes on the Outer Loop near Connecticut Avenue beginning at 9 p.m. Friday. The work zone could remain in place all day Saturday and into early Sunday as crews perform maintenance on an overpass.
“With good luck, we will hopefully get things open later Saturday night, but the contractor does have permission to work until Sunday morning,” said Charlie Gischlar, spokesperson for MDOT SHA.
Delays are likely early Saturday morning as cars try to squeeze through the area between the Silver Spring and Kensington exits in a single lane. Traffic will guided by the barrels in a column of twos later in the day but major delays are likely until all lanes are reopened.
Crews will focus on repairing the overpass that carries Beltway traffic above Connecticut Avenue.
“There is a concrete element involved. We have to do some patching on that bridge,” Gischlar said. “With concrete, it has to cure once it’s put into place meaning it has to come up to strength to be able to sustain highway travel.”
After the concrete sets, crews will repave and restripe the section road on each side of the overpass.
Administration officials are urging drivers to take the Inner Loop of the Beltway toward the Woodrow Wilson Bridge or Route 200 (the Intercounty Connector) westbound to avoid the delays.
Similar work took place on Outer Loop between Georgia Avenue and Connecticut Avenue on the first Saturday of June. Long delays persisted on the Beltway and nearby roads until all lanes were reopened around 3 p.m.
About 233,000 drivers per day travel the Beltway through Silver Spring.
Here is a map of where the work zone will be:
