Bethesda Pedestrian Underpass Completed After 5 Years Of Work

BETHESDA, MD — A pedestrian underpass connecting the east and west sides of Rockville Pike in Bethesda was completed last week after five years of construction, the county said in a news release. The underpass was built to connect the part of the road that is home to the National Institute of Health, the Walter Reed Naval Medical Center, and a Metro station.

“This is one of the most important improvements to pedestrian safety in Montgomery County in recent years,” said County Executive Marc Elrich in a statement. “MD355/Rockville Pike at the NIH and Walter Reed Metro station has been a dangerous intersection for generations, and the employees and visitors of these critical institutions deserved better."

The bridge has been named after Phillip Richard Alperson, a former Silver Spring resident and Montgomery County employee who led the effort for the underpass, the county said. Alperson died in May 2020.

Senator Chris Van Hollen said Alperson was a dedicated civil servant who was believed in an obligation to provide "world-class" medical care for veterans and military personnel.

“The completion of this important project — which will make it easier for our dedicated civil servants to provide that care and for our military personnel and veterans to access it — is a testament to that commitment," said Van Hollen in the news release. "His legacy of public service, commitment to our military, and vision for a greater Maryland will live on, not only through the completion and dedication of this project he helped make a reality, but through his family, friends, and colleagues who carry his spirit and commitment to ‘The Alperson Way’ with them each day.”

People often cross between the two campuses, and the Medical Center Metro Station had 11,000 daily riders before the pandemic, with 7,000 of them crossing Rockville Pike to get there, the county said in the news release.

“NIH, WRNMMC, and the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences are long-time research collaborators,” said NIH Acting Principal Deputy Director Dr. Tara Schwetz. “The underpass will ensure the safety of employees, patients, trainees, and medical and graduate students when crossing between the NIH and Walter Reed campuses.”