A section of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway will be completely closed at night for the last two weekends in October, the Maryland State Highway Administration warned Wednesday.
The agency is shutting down the section of highway at the West Nursery Road overpass near Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport so it can quickly replace two bridges over the Parkway. Workers will demolish the current bridges and move new bridge decks in place during the closures, officials said.
On the two Fridays, Oct. 19 and 26, one lane of the Parkway will be closed in each direction from 8 to 11 p.m., when all lanes in both directions will be closed until 6 a.m.
On Saturdays, Oct. 20 and 27, one lane will be closed starting at 8 p.m., and all lanes will close from 11 p.m. to 8 a.m.
The agency warns that the Parkway’s three lanes of traffic will be funneled into a one-lane detour on the exit ramps to West Nursery Road and back on the Parkway via the on-ramp from West Nursery Road. Though it’s a short detour, agency spokesman Charlie Gischlar said, it will be significantly congested.
Maryland officials recommended avoiding the Parkway for those nights, using Interstate 97 to Dorsey Road to get to the airport from the east, and Interstate 95 to Interstate 195 if coming from the west. They also said travelers passing through the area to go to any regional sporting events should use I-95 or I-97, not the Parkway.
