As early as Friday, Montgomery County residents will see concrete signs of military reorganization that will transfer medical services from Walter Reed Medical Center to Bethesda’s naval hospital and eventually double the number of patient-related visits to the facility.
Navy officials said construction trailers are expected on the grounds of Bethesda’s National Naval Medical Center by Friday with the official groundbreaking ceremony expected in June.
“There’s a lot of preparation that needs to go into construction work,” Navy spokeswoman Amy Rohlfs said. “Parking lots will have to be reconfigured, there will be a different route for construction vehicles to use — all ofthis will be happening soon.”
B.J. Penn, assistant secretary of the Navy for installations & environment, signed documents Wednesday officially allowing construction to begin on Bethesda’s Base Realignment and Closure project. Military leaders say relocating medical services from the District’s Walter Reed Hospital to the Bethesda facility will bring 2,200 new employees and roughly double the number of patients and visitors to the facility. The transition must be completed by Sept. 15, 2011.
Bethesda residents and Montgomery County leaders have expressed concerns the changes will create a traffic nightmare on the already congested roads near the hospital. Residents submitted roughly 1,200 comments, mostly about traffic concerns, to Navy officials who had asked for input.
County leaders have repeatedly said the federal government must chip in for many of the modifications necessary to ensure traffic flows smoothly.
Navy officials initially told the county it was their responsibility to fund local road improvements that could cost $70 million in the short-term alone, but they reversed course last month and said they would ask the federal government pay for some projects.
County Executive Ike Leggett and Council President Mike Knapp said in a letter last week the Navy should also lobby the Defense Department to expand their interpretation of road projects eligible for federal funding.
The Defense Department typically pays for road improvements when traffic will double because of a military project, but since Bethesda roads are already near capacity, it would be impossible for traffic to double.
Wednesday’s decision included modest changes in the Navy’s traffic mitigation strategy for the project, but Phil Alperson, Montgomery County’s BRAC coordinator, said they seem largely technical.
Alperson said he’s optimistic the county will receive federal assistance for the projects.
“People are very well aware of the importance of this project,” he said.
