Community Corner

Woodmont Avenue Stretch Set To Close Sept. 4

Closure, prompted by Lot 31 construction, may impact morning rush commuters the most, officials say.

Closure of a portion of Woodmont Avenue to allow for construction of a public parking garage and two residential developments is set for Sept. 4. The closure is likely to impact Bethesda Row traffic, but morning rush commuters may be affected the most, officials say.

Portable sign boards were installed on Woodmont Aug. 24 announcing the Sept. 4 closure of a stretch of Woodmont south of Bethesda Avenue, according to a project update from developers StonebridgeCarras.

Known as Lot 31, the parking garage is a public-private partnership between the county and developers StonebridgeCarras and PN Hoffman. Developers also are planning on either side of Woodmont -- The Darcy, an 88-unit luxury condominium building, and The Flats, which will be a 162-unit apartment building.

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When complete, the garage will feature 940 public parking spaces. The new spaces will expand parking options near the busy intersection, but in the meantime, Bethesda Row is facing a parking crunch.

Two popular surface parking lots at the corner of Bethesda and Woodmont Avenues, with 279 spots, closed in April to allow for the construction. The lots are expected to be closed for 30 months, and the stretch of Woodmont is expected to remain closed for 20 months after it’s shut down early next month.

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Drivers heading south on Woodmont will need to turn right or left on Bethesda Avenue. With much of Woodmont Avenue routing traffic one way from the north to the south, the closure could have the largest impact on morning rush commuters, wrote Ken Hartman, director of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, in an email to Patch.

“We will be monitoring closely and are getting the word out now,” Hartman wrote.

In the meantime, excavation work is already underway on the Lot 31 site, with a large excavated area along the southern property line, according to the project update.

The Capital Crescent Trail will remain open during construction.

How will the Woodmont Avenue closure affect your commute? Tell us in the comments.


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