Commuter Alert: Prince George's County Highway Project Causes Lane Closures

Drivers in Prince George’s County should plan for a detour while work on US Highway 1 in Laurel begins.

The $10 million drainage project is under way on the busy commuter route (Baltimore Avenue) between Ammendale Road and Ritz Way. Flooding has become a recurring problem in the area during rain storms.

Drivers should expect single lane closures from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday. Parts of Ammendale Road will be closed during the project and a Ritz Way detour route will be available.

The construction by the State Highway Administration and contractor Concrete General of Gaithersburg includes:

• Replacing an aging culvert pipe with a new bridge to provide a greater water flow underneath
• Adding ten new storm drain inlets
• Raising the profile of the road to four feet
• Upgrading existing drainage pipes under US 1
• Resurface and restripe the highway
• Raising existing hiker/biker trail along US 1 and widening it from eight to 10 feet

“US 1 is a critical north-south link and when closed for flooding, adds extra traffic to local roadways in Laurel, creating significant delays for commuters,” SHA District Engineer Brian Young said in a news release. “When the project is completed, the roadway will not flood as easily, which improves motorist safety and will greatly reduce weather-related congestion.”

The project should be finished by spring 2016.