Politics & Government

Old Georgetown Pedestrian Bridge To Close For Renovations

Project expected to launch April 16.

An eight-month rehabilitation of a pedestrian bridge over Old Georgetown Road is set to launch April 16, prompting a lane closure for the duration of the project.

The 90-foot pedestrian bridge, which crosses above Old Georgetown between Edgemoor and Commerce Lane, connects the Bethesda Place development to the the Metropolitan Apartments, and a public parking garage, among other facilities.

While not structurally unsound, poor drainage caused corrosion on the bridge, which was accelerated by droppings from pigeons roosting in the cladding on the Safeway side, according to Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center director Ken Hartman. The work will remove the corrosion and fix the drainage, and crews will paint the bridge red – the signature color of downtown Bethesda.

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Beginning April 16 or shortly thereafter, parking meters will be covered and no parking signs will be placed, Hartman said.

Construction will take place Mondays through Fridays between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., but a single lane closure will be in place all day, seven days a week, for the duration of the project, according to a county transportation department news release.

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Pedestrians will need to cross Old Georgetown at street level, and pedestrian routes will be maintained throughout the eight-month project, according to MCDOT. Construction isn’t expected to interfere with access to side streets, driveways, store entrances and the Safeway store and parking garage, according to MCDOT.

For more information about the project, contact Craig Lease at 240-773-3412 or by email.  To be added to the project’s newsletter mailing list, contact Jackie Earp at 240-777-7210 or by email.  Information is also available via MCDOT's website.


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