Lane Closures on Georgia Avenue Start This Weekend

In addition to new sidewalks and trees, Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring is getting new bus pads as well.

Starting this weekend, state highway crews will be constructing new bus pads in front of bus stops on Georgia Avenue in downtown Silver Spring, according to a news release from the state highway administration. The bus pads are constructed to support heavier vehicles—like buses—and to keep those vehicles from damaging the roadway.

This weekend will be the first of several weekends in which there will be lane closures on Georgia Avenue. The construction is part of an ongoing $3.6 million safety and resurfacing project on Georgia Avenue in downtown Silver Spring between Eastern Avenue and 16th Street. Weather permitting, this work should be completed later this fall, the news release reported.

The state highway administration's contractor is permitted to close either northbound or southbound lanes on Georgia Avenue (depending on the location of the bus pad) based on the following work schedule: 

• Two lanes between Friday at 9 p.m. and Saturday at noon.
• One lane between noon on Saturday and Monday at 5 a.m. 

Crews will perform different phases of construction at different times. Although workers may not always be present, lanes must remain closed until the bus pad concrete is fully cured (i.e., dried) and all affected lanes are declared safe for travel. 

One bus pad will be constructed each weekend on Georgia Avenue between Spring Street and Colesville Road at each of the following locations: 

• Northbound Georgia Avenue at Spring Street
• Northbound Georgia Avenue at Cameron Street
• Southbound Georgia Avenue at Spring Street
• Southbound Georgia Avenue at Cameron Street
• Southbound Georgia Avenue at King Street
• Northbound Georgia Avenue at Colesville Road

"Workers, residents and visitors in downtown Silver Spring should pay close attention to changing pedestrian traffic patterns along [Georgia Avenue] during this work," state highway administration engineer Brian Young said. 

"Just as motorists must adjust to reduced speeds and lane closures, pedestrians should similarly prepare to adjust to changes in the maintenance of pedestrian traffic inside work zones along [Georgia Avenue]. In some cases, pedestrians may need to cross over to the opposite side of the street around the construction zone," he added.

Nearly 41,000 motorists use this section of Georgia Avenue each day. Work crews will use construction barrels, construction cones, arrow boards and flaggers to guide motorists through the work zone, the news release advised.