The more the city and state can prepare for the traffic congestion expected during the renovation of the Interstate 68 bridge crossing Cumberland, the better for the public.
State officials have said repeatedly that there will be major traffic congestions in downtown Cumberland and a number temporary street closures or single-lane closures will be necessary. The areas most affected will be directly below the bridge, such as Centre Street in the vicinity of Wendy’s and Harrison Street.
The work would have already been under way had it not been for a dispute over the contract bids. The second-lowest bidder for the project, Kilcos Painting Co. Inc., of Baltimore, is contesting the bidding. Kilcos proposed to do the work for $14,505,852 but Concrete General Inc. of Gaithersburg had the lowest offer at $13,934,448. As a result, the work will not get started for several more weeks while the dispute is settled.
Dave Buck of the State Highway Administration said once a contractor is on board his agency will meet with residents, business owners and the media to provide a schedule of work.
Our hope is that the SHA will consider scheduling as much of the work as possible in off-peak traffic hours. If any of it can be done at nights or on weekends, it would help to alleviate the traffic tieups that are expected during the Monday through Friday workweek.
In the meantime, communication involving all parties and the public is the best approach to keep disruptions at a minimum. We again urge the mayor and council to take the lead in protecting the best interests of the local citizenry.
Opinion
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