Backups

The tanker truck explosion that closed Interstate 95 yesterday afternoon forced thousands of commuters and long-distance travelers onto clogged alternate routes, where they crept through hourlong backups, missed afternoon flights and got lost on unfamiliar roads. Two southbound lanes of I-95 reopened at 7 p.m., and state highway workers were laboring through the night in a "marathon effort" to open the northbound side by this morning, officials said. After waiting for emergency workers and police investigators to finish their jobs, road crews had to clear fire-retardant foam before they could survey the damage to the highway.

EAGLE BASE, Bosnia - Douglas Maser, a health care lawyer from Cleveland, runs the hospital. Char Norton, the owner of an international food service company in Houston, is the head nurse. Delonce Hines, a legal clerk from Philadelphia, inspects Bosnian Army weapons storage sites, and Raymond Hernandez, an air conditioning technician from Philadelphia, clears minefields. Here, they are known as Colonel Maser, Colonel Norton, Specialist Hines and Corporal Hernandez, and all have been called up by the National Guard or Army Reserves, leaving jobs and families back home as they take over peace-keeping duties in Bosnia.

As of 9:00 a.m. Friday, traffic was slow on I-83 northbound near Timonium Road, due to an accident. Accidents were slowing traffic on Route 176 near Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard in Anne Arundel County, Gorsuch Road near Manchester Avenue in Carroll County and Route 140 near Market Street in Westminster. The State Highway Administration is warning Eastern Shore motorists to allow extra travel time if they plan to drive on U.S. 50 westbound over U.S. 301 in Queenstown on the weekends, due to construction work and a lane closure there.

Although center, guard and tackle are the three positions along the offensive line, the players who make up that front usually say that something as simple as moving from one spot to another or switching from one side to the other is not as easy as it sounds. Mastering that ability to adjust, however, is critical for offensive linemen vying for a spot on a team's active 53-man roster. That's especially true for the Ravens, offensive coordinator Cam Cameron says. “To be a backup, you have to be versatile,” Cameron said after Tuesday's practice at the team's training complex in Owings Mills.

If you listen to all the criticism the Ravens have taken from the so-called experts and all the moaning their fans have done recently, you'd think they're a team on the verge of collapse. You'd think they were 2-5 instead of 5-2. You'd never know they have the second-best record in the AFC going into Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns, who are suddenly being portrayed as a team on the rise because they've won two of their last three, including that 7-6 snoozer over the free-falling San Diego Chargers two weeks ago. Let's get this straight: the Browns are not a good team.

Just months after a costly clog backed sewage into the basements of a Sykesville neighborhood, the county has put about 7,000 residents on notice: It will not take responsibility for backups in Carroll's sewer system. Officials are urging residents to beef up their home-owners insurance policies to protect against such damage -- and warning them against grease, disposable diapers and other material that can clog pipes. "The county can't and won't take liability for everything that happens," said Gary Horst, director of enterprise and recreation services.

In a meaningless game by starters' standards, running back Jason Brookins showed his hunger and defensive tackle Kelly Gregg delivered on desire. Any remnants of the Super Bowl XXXV rematch quickly faded after the first quarter as these Ravens backups provided the lasting impression in yesterday's 38-9 victory over the New York Giants at a half-filled PSINet Stadium. Brookins, who has heard the talk of the Ravens possibly adding another running back this weekend, responded with 112 yards and a touchdown.

Could Delaware's infamous toll plaza bottleneck finally have been uncorked? Delaware Department of Transportation officials say they've completed a $32.6 million project — just in time for the July 4 holiday weekend — that will greatly reduce the mind-numbing toll collection backups that have made Delaware's border with Maryland the most dreaded stretch of Interstate 95 from Maine to Miami. Department spokesman Michael Williams said the opening of two new high-speed E-ZPass lanes in each direction "will result in dramatic changes in what motorists face when they transit the Newark toll plaza in Delaware.

This year, even Delaware is warning motorists about the dreaded Delaware toll plaza. Maryland's eastern neighbor has put drivers on alert that they could face significant construction delays approaching its Newark Toll Plaza along Interstate 95 at the height of Thanksgiving travel. In a notice on its website, the Delaware Department of Transportation took the unusual step of urging motorists to find a way around paying a $4 toll each way for the privilege of using the Delaware Turnpike.

City transportation officials are expecting traffic backups today from 8 a.m. until midnight along Greenmount Avenue from 32nd Street to 33rd Street. Crews will be repairing a break in a 36-inch water main, officials said. Though some lanes will be closed today, the traffic pattern is expected to be restored to normal in time for Monday's rush hour.