Major highway closure through Baltimore set for next 2 years

WASHINGTON — Half of Interstate 895 in Baltimore will be closed for the next 2 1/2 years, leading to a warning of significant delays for commuters and travelers going up and down the Interstate 95 corridor.

The closure just north of the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel is scheduled to begin the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 27.

The Maryland Transportation Authority recommends drivers use either I-95 and the Fort McHenry Tunnel or the Baltimore Beltway, Interstate 695 and the Key Bridge, to get around the expected backups for the next 2 1/2 years. Long-term work on the Curtis Creek Drawbridge on I-695 is expected to be completed Nov. 20.

One lane each way

On I-895, starting Nov. 27, only one lane will be open in each direction during the $189 million project, first with all traffic sharing the southbound lanes between the north side of the tunnel and the Boston/O’Donnell Street exit. In the spring, the northbound tube of the Harbor Tunnel will also be closed for two months for repairs, with the one-lane zone in each direction extended to the southern side of the tunnel.

The exit for Holabird Avenue will also be closed until spring 2020.

Traffic is expected to shift to the northbound lanes in spring 2020, still with one lane in each direction.

The southbound lanes are then scheduled to be closed until spring 2021. In spring 2020, the southbound tunnel tube will also close for two months.

Long-term construction has already been underway along I-895 for related work.

The regular I-895 traffic pattern with two lanes in each direction is expected to resume over a new bridge near the tunnel in spring 2021.