SHA release

NEWS RELEASE TEXT

STATE HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION TO TEMPORARILY CLOSE BRIDGE ON SEMINARY AVENUE IN LUTHERVILLE, BALTIMORE COUNTY

Bridge Crossing near Light Rail Tracks in Lutherville to be Closed 9:30 a.m. Friday, August 7 Through Tuesday, August 11 to Complete New Bridge Construction

(August 4, 2009) – On or about 9:30 a.m. Friday, August 7, the Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration (SHA) will temporarily close the bridge carrying Seminary Avenue (MD 131) over a tributary of the Roland Run in Lutherville for bridge demolition and construction work. Weather permitting, the bridge will open by Tuesday, August 11.

SHA is replacing the two-lane bridge, built in 1900, with a new bridge. SHA’s contractor, PDI Sheetz of Linthicum, has been working on weekends this month to construct supports for the new bridge. Between August 7-11, weather permitting, crews will remove the old bridge and construct the new bridge. SHA will need to close Seminary Avenue between Railroad Avenue and Greenspring Drive at 9:30 a.m. Friday, August 7 until the new bridge is complete on or about Tuesday, August 11. Once the old bridge is removed on Friday, crews will work continuously until the new bridge is complete and safe for travel. In case of inclement weather, work will begin at 9:30 a.m. Friday, August 14.

SHA will provide a signed detour route for traffic along Seminary Avenue during the weekend closure. Businesses will remain open and no residential driveways will be closed. Through travelers on Seminary Avenue will be detoured to Falls Road (MD 25) to the Baltimore Beltway (I-695), to the Beltway interchange at Charles Street to Bellona Avenue and back to Seminary Avenue.

After the new bridge is open, there may be temporary lane closures with flagging operations at any time between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday – Friday until the end of August.

SHA appreciates the community’s understanding during the bridge construction work and detours, and encourages area residents to plan ahead for the longer daytime closure and detours between Friday, August 7 and Tuesday August 11. Citizens who have questions about the bridge work and detours may contact SHA’s Office of Structures at 888-375-1084 or 410-545-8302.

During the next several months, there could be more than 350 highway work zones throughout Maryland. Also, work zones are not only large construction projects, but include smaller, mobile operations such as mowing, pothole repair and litter pick ups. Choose to make work zone safety your business at www.choosesafetyforlife.com.
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From our Traffic/Transit page:

Light Rail: Two pedestrians were struck south of Lutherville Station. No fatalities at this time. All trains are stopped and standing. A bus bridge is being established from Falls Rd. to Timonium Station.

WBAL TV reported later that:

Officers said two children were hit by a light rail train just south of the Lutherville stop. The stop is in the 100 block of West Ridgely Road.

Baltimore County medics treated the victims at the scene.

Officials did not give the victims’ conditions or say whether they were taken to a hospital.

The AP reports that one of the teenagers hit is dead. The AP reports indicate a northbound train operator saw the two boys lying on the tracks at 3:15 today. No reports of any previous trains striking pedestrians had been made there were no signs on any train undercarriages of the accident.