A key long-range transportation project that will create a loop around Frederick is midway to completion.
The combined Monocacy Boulevard and future Christopher’s Crossing road improvement projects have been planned for a decade to create a complete loop around the City - improving circulation and alleviating congestion on the U.S. highway and interstate system.
The first phase of the Monocacy Boulevard project connected Hughes Ford Road and Schifferstadt Boulevard. This fall, construction work on Monocacy Boulevard will enter Phase II -necessitating road closure. During this period, the entire existing roadway between Schifferstadt Boulevard and Gashouse Pike will be demolished, raised, and widened. The existing bridge over Monocacy River will be rehabilitated and a new parallel two-lane bridge will be constructed. A retaining wall along Carroll Creek and all associated infrastructure-- including water lines, storm-water management, culverts, street lights, and a new traffic signal at Monocacy Boulevard and Gashouse Pike --will also be installed. The contractor estimates closure will begin on October 14, 2017 and the road will reopen when completed in June 2019.
When finished, the new road and bridge will accommodate four lanes of traffic taking a straighter path between Frederick’s downtown and northeast side. The new road will also improve transit access between the job center at Riverside and Downtown.
Even in its current winding, two-lane configuration, the road is a busy arterial alternative to U.S. 15 north. Accordingly, the City has given the public as much advanced notice as possible of the estimated duration of the closure. The road closure will require traffic that normally uses Monocacy Boulevard between the City’s downtown and Md. 26 to use alternatives.
The City of Frederick transportation planners work ahead decades to identify and estimate costs for critical infrastructure needs. The combined Monocacy Boulevard Center Section Phase II and future Christopher’s Crossing project compliments the Monocacy Boulevard and U.S. 15 Interchange, which is the #1 state-funded infrastructure priority for Frederick. The ongoing projects have been in the pipeline for over a decade. Updates about other construction projects are available on within the Blog Post: "An Aerial Look at Infrastructure Projects in Frederick."