Shhhhhhh!! County Officals Want to Deal Land in Private.

From The Gazette

Want to know what deals are going to be made to move Montgomery County’s police headquarters, fire training academy, Board of Elections and several other county operations to new locations?  Maybe you will…or maybe these deals will be made behind closed doors.

Bay Bridge Back to 2 Lanes Eastbound

From MD DOT e-mail

After being down to just one Eastbound lane due to weather, traffic is again using two lanes heading toward the beach on the Bay Bridge.

Two-Way Operations Back In Effect on Westbound Span
Inclement Weather Clears; Delays Will Continue During Evening Rush Hour

Two-way operations are once again in effect on the westbound span. One lane on the eastbound span also is open for eastbound travelers, while the right lane of the eastbound span remains closed for repairs.

The MDTA urges motorists to stay alert and use caution when traveling the bridge:
• Call 1-877-BAYSPAN (1-877-229-7726) for 24/7 traffic conditions at the bridge.
• Visit baybridge.com to view live traffic cameras at the bridge and to sign up for traffic and email alerts.
• Obey posted speed limits and overhead lane-control signals.
• Stay alert — do not change lanes while traveling over the bridge.
• Make sure your vehicle is “road ready”– one disabled vehicle can cause extensive backups.

Bay Bridge Temporarily Down to ONE Lane Towards the Beach

From MD Transportation Dept. e-mail

Two-Way Operations Suspended
Expect Extensive Eastbound Delays at Bay Bridge During Evening Rush Hour

For motorists’ safety, two-way operations have been suspended from the westbound span of the Bay Bridge due to rain and poor visibility.

One lane on the eastbound span is open for eastbound travelers, while the right lane of the eastbound span remains closed for repairs.

We will attempt to resume two-way operations if and when weather conditions improve.

The MDTA urges motorists to stay alert and use caution when traveling the bridge:
• Call 1-877-BAYSPAN (1-877-229-7726) for 24/7 traffic conditions at the bridge.
• Visit baybridge.com to view live traffic cameras at the bridge and to sign up for traffic and email alerts.
• Obey posted speed limits and overhead lane-control signals.
• Stay alert — do not change lanes while traveling over the bridge.
• Make sure your vehicle is “road ready”– one disabled vehicle can cause extensive backups.

Bay Bridge: Now It’s TEN Weeks of Delays!!

From MD Highway Admin. e-mail

SIGNIFICANT DELAYS EXPECTED AS SAFETY ENHANCEMENTS ARE MADE TO BAY BRIDGE

Labor Day Beachgoers Urged To Travel Off Peak, Use Alternate Route
Construction Could Take Up To 10 Weeks To Complete

Starting today, the right lane of the Bay Bridge’s eastbound span will be closed continuously as work begins to strengthen the parapets (or barriers) lining the side of the bridge. The first section to be modified is near the Eastern Shore side of the span. Pending results of the ongoing testing, potential repairs to other sections of parapet on the eastbound span are possible and could take up to 10 weeks to complete.

“Our annual inspections, that go above and beyond federal requirements, confirm that the Bay Bridge is safe,” said Transportation Secretary and Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) Chairman John D. Porcari. “Since the Aug. 10 incident, we have been aggressively assessing bridge operations and structural elements. In-depth testing done to date shows that improvements can be made to strengthen the parapet. Out of an abundance of caution, we want to execute these modifications immediately.”

During the right-lane closure, the posted speed limit on the eastbound span will drop to 40 mph at all times. Two-way traffic will operate as needed on the westbound span to provide two eastbound travel lanes. Commuters will still have three lanes westbound during morning rush hours, as will travelers returning from the Eastern Shore on Sundays and Labor Day Monday.

“The reality is that diminished capacity will lead to delays, particularly during the upcoming Labor Day weekend, but the safety of our motorists, employees and contractors is our top priority,” said MDTA Executive Secretary Ronald L. Freeland. “We’re asking our bridge commuters and local residents to work with us again during these modifications. We’re also encouraging Labor Day beachgoers to use alternate routes and avoid the Bay Bridge this weekend, if possible. Drivers should plan their trips by calling 1-877-BAYSPAN (229-7726) and logging onto baybridge.com.”

The MDTA began today’s repairs after ultrasonic and ground penetrating radar (GPR) testing of the parapet in the right lane near the Eastern Shore indicated corrosion of reinforcing steel bolts encased in the concrete barrier.

“The repairs we are starting today will restore the strength of the parapet,” said MDTA Chief Engineer Geoffrey V. Kolberg. “The corrosion is a direct result of voids in the center of the concrete parapet, where moisture has become trapped. If our ongoing testing identifies other parapet areas in need of strengthening, immediate corrective action will begin and could take up to 10 weeks for such repairs.”

Strengthening of the parapet involves bolting an L-shaped steel anchor strap (or bracket) to the parapet and to the bridge deck and bolting a double steel w-beam (or guardrail) to the parapet. Design of a permanent repair to the parapet is underway.

During the lane closure, trucks wider than 12 feet will be prohibited from traveling the bridge in the eastbound direction and must use an alternate route. The restriction includes trucks that have been issued blanket permits.

Suggested alternate routes to and from the Eastern Shore include:

EASTBOUND TRAFFIC

From Washington D.C., Baltimore Metropolitan areas and points north and west of Baltimore:
• I-95 north to DE 1 south to access beach resort areas
• Remain on DE 1 for all Delaware beach resorts
• For Maryland resort areas – use DE 1, to US 113, to MD 90. Take MD 90 to US 50 or continue south for Assateague and Virginia resorts
• Motorists traveling to Wicomico, Worcester and Somerset counties and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (Virginia) – exit DE 1 in Dover to US 13 south
• For motorists traveling to Kent, Caroline and Queen Anne’s counties – take I-95 north to DE 896 south which becomes US 301 south
• For motorists traveling to points south of Queen Anne’s County (Talbot and Dorchester counties), take US 301 south, to MD 213 south, to US 50 east

From Richmond, Virginia and points South:
• Take I-64 east, to US 13 north, into Maryland
• If traveling to the beach resort areas, exit US 13 north, onto US 133 north near Pocomoke City

WESTBOUND TRAFFIC
From Beach Resort areas:
• Delaware beach areas should use DE 1 to I-95
• Maryland beach areas should take US 113 north, to DE 1 to I-95 or remain on US 50 west from Ocean City and exit onto US 13 north, to DE 1 north of Smyrna to I-95

From other Eastern Shore areas:
• From Caroline County — take MD 404, to MD 313, to US 301 north, to DE 896, to I-95
• From Dorchester and Talbot counties — take US 50 west, to MD 213 north, to US 301 north, to DE 896, to I-95
• From Queen Anne’s County — take US 301 north, to DE 896, to I-95

The MDTA urges motorists to stay alert and use caution when traveling the bridge:
• Call 1-877-BAYSPAN (1-877-229-7726) for 24/7 traffic conditions at the bridge.
• Visit baybridge.com to view live traffic cameras at the bridge and to sign up for traffic and email alerts.
• Obey posted speed limits and overhead lane-control signals. The speed limit for the eastbound span and when driving in two-way traffic is 40 mph.
• Use your vehicle’s headlights in two-way traffic.
• Stay alert — do not change lanes while traveling over the bridge.
• Make sure your vehicle is “road ready”– one disabled vehicle can cause extensive backups.

They’re Going to Fix the Bay Bridge WHEN??????

From e-mail from the MD Transportation Authority

RIGHT LANE ON EASTBOUND SPAN OF BAY BRIDGE TO CLOSE TODAY
Drivers Should Expect Significant Delays; Labor Day Beachgoers Should Use Alternate Route

The right lane on the eastbound span of the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial (Bay) Bridge (US 50/301) will be closed to traffic continuously. The speed limit on the eastbound span has been lowered from 50 mph to 40 mph for the duration of the closure.

The lane will close today and is expected to remain closed for the next two to three weeks. Two-way traffic will operate on the westbound span during peak travel times to provide two lanes for eastbound travelers. Commuters will still have three lanes westbound during the morning rush.

The Authority will be strengthening the bridge’s parapet along the right lane of the eastbound span near the Eastern Shore.

For travelers heading to Ocean City from the Baltimore area:
· I-95 North to Route 1
· Take Route 1 South thru Delaware
· Route 1 becomes Route 528 / Coastal Highway
· Take Coastal Highway into Ocean City

Mandatory Recycling in Rockville? You Have a Week Left to Make Your Voice Heard.

From The Washington Post

You only have until the end of the day a week from tomorrow (Fri., 8/29) to tell the City Council in Rockville what you think of its proposal idea to make recycling mandatory for businesses and apartments in that city.  (Of course, you can also voice your opinion by posting a comment to this post).

A Bike Path Along the ICC? Some Planners Fear it Would Hurt the Environment!

From the Washington Post

An East-West bike path along the intercounty Connector, or widening sidewalks on some local roads to accommodate bikes?  That’s a question facing the Montgomery County Planning Board when it meets next month.

Silver Spring Woman Awarded More Than a Million From Mortgage Co. That Saddled Her With Unaffordable Loan

From Washington Business Journal

A Montgomery County jury believes that Wells Fargo locked Kimberly Thomas into a home loan she couldn’t afford.  They’ve convicted the lender, Wells Fargo, of fraud, negligence and other charges for inflating Thomas’ income and assets on her mortgage application and then locking her into a bigger loan than she had applied for.  And it’s awarded Thomas $1.25 million.

Montgomery Schools Admit Using Misleading Pics to Illustrate PowerPoint Presentation

From The Washington Post

The picture of students on the PowerPoint created by the Montgomery County school system was captioned: “These students need our help in passing Algebra so they can graduate from high school,” but the kids weren’t failing math at all. Then, the picture wound up on the Internet.

ICC Bulldozers Arrive in Burtonsville

From the Gazette

Trees are coming down, dirt is being piled up and part of a road has been closed as I.C.C. construction arrives in Burtonsville.