Weekend Road Closures Slated For MD 193 in Greenbelt

The Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) will close lanes along eastbound MD 193 between 58th and 60th avenues in Greenbelt for concrete bus pad construction beginning 8 p.m. Friday, according to a highway administration news release.

The two far right lanes will be closed for much of the weekend and will re-open no later than Sunday at noon, according Christopher Bishop, SHA community liaison for District 3. 

The highway administration asks drivers to stay alert—look for reduced speed limits and narrow driving lanes, and to watch out for highway workers. Bishop said it will pay for motorists to budget extra commute time and plan ahead if they're going to be driving in the work area.

"It is a busy work zone there on Greenbelt Road," Bishop said citing SHA figures showing approximately 46,000 vehicles traveling along the 193, or University Boulevard, corridor in Greenbelt daily.

Crews may not always be be present in the work zone, but there will be construction cones, arrow boards, and intermittent flaggers to guide motorists through, Bishop said. The absence of crews does not mean the lanes will soon be ready for traffic, according to Bishop, who explained that the consistency of concrete used for bus pads takes additional curing time.

Concrete bus pads are in the areas in front of bus stops and are heavier than standard concrete to prevent the weight of vehicles like buses from damaging the roadway, Bishop explained. 

Weather permitting, the work will go forward, according to the highway administration. Looking at the weekend weather forecast on Thursday, Bishop said he didn't see any rain or weather problems at the time that would prohibit weekend work. So he expected work to progress as planned.