Eastbound

Public meeting to discuss Route 32 improvements The Maryland Department of Transportation, State Highway Administration and the Howard County Department of Public Works and Transportation will hold a public meeting on proposed improvements to the eastbound lanes of Route 32 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Feb. 15 at Amherst House, 7251 Eden Brook Drive, Columbia. The project includes construction of a third lane eastbound from the U.S. 29 interchange to meet the third lane at Broken Land Parkway.

Construction on a new eastbound Route 32 bridge across the Baltimore-Washington Parkway should begin next week, forcing some motorists todetour around the intersection.The bridge is part of Gov. William Donald Schaefer's transportation package, financed by motor vehiclefee increases approved by the General Assembly last June. Workers will begin building new ramps to improve access to the parkway as well."It's going to take care of a lot of that left-turn movement off 32," said State Highway Administration spokesman Doug Rose.

Separate accidents on the Severn River bridge near Annapolis and the Bay Bridge snarled traffic on U.S. 50 yesterday, causing backups that stretched as far as 12 miles. The biggest of the headaches was caused by an accident about 8:10 a.m. in the eastbound lanes of the highway on the Severn River bridge, according to state police. Police said a vehicle that was changing lanes struck another vehicle, causing both to overturn. They, in turn, were struck by a third eastbound vehicle. The bumper of one eastbound vehicle involved in the crash flew off and landed in the westbound lanes, police said.

The State Highway Administration has closed the ramp from eastbound U.S. 50 to northbound Route 2 and southbound Route 450 until 6 a.m. Wednesday for an engineering inspection. The ramps will remain closed to vehicles weighing more than 7,000 pounds until further notice, SHA officials said. Motorists who use the exit should follow the posted detour along eastbound U.S. 50 to the next exit for Bay Dale Drive, head back onto westbound U.S. 50, then take the Route 2-Route 450 exit.

One of two eastbound lanes of Main Street in front of Westminster's Fire Department will be closed tomorrow so work crews can remove gasoline tanks from the firehouse, police said.The tanks, lying under concrete, will be moved to the new firehouse under construction on John Street. The new facility is expected to open next month.The left-turn lane will be open for eastbound traffic, police said."The Fire Department anticipates that the work will take no more than a day to complete," said Police Chief Sam R. Leppo.

As of 8:30 a.m. Monday, traffic was slow on the outer loop of I-695 at Harford Road, due to an accident. Accidents were slowing traffic at York and West roads in Towson, Park Heights Avenue and Glengyle Avenue in Baltimore City, and eastbound I-70 at Marriottsville Road in Howard County. A vehicle fire was slowing traffic on Route 100 eastbound near Waterloo Road in Howard County. There were no major delays on Baltimore area transit systems.

The Maryland Transportation Authority will begin closing one lane of the eastbound Bay Bridge span on a daily basis starting Thursday to clean and paint portions of the steel barrier wall.The one-lane closures will last until March 31 and are part of the first phase of a three-year, $39.2 million project. Authority officials say it will cost about $71 million and take five years to clean and paint the eastbound bridge.The closures are scheduled:Seven days a week from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3: 30 p.m.Friday from 9 a.m. to noon.

A portion of eastbound U.S. 40 will be closed between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Pulaski Street from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. today for a film production, according to city transportation officials. Delays should be expected, and officials recommend that motorists find alternate routes.

State Highway Administration officials will be closing ramps on the Jones Falls Expressway (Interstate 83) and the Baltimore Beltway (Interstate 695) during the next few days for roadwork.From 9 p.m. today to 5 a.m. tomorrow, the inner loop ramp from the JFX northbound to eastbound I-695 will be closed. One lane will be closed at 7 p.m. when crews begin work, officials said.Motorists will be directed to follow the outer loop, westbound I-695, to Exit 22 at Greenspring Avenue, then loop back to eastbound I-695.

As of 9 a.m. Wednesday, traffic was slow on I-295 southbound near Route 198, due to an accident. Accidents were slowing traffic on I-70 eastbound near U.S. 29 in Howard County and Route 91 at Route 140 in Finksburg. A disabled vehicle was slowing traffic on U.S. 50 westbound at Gov. Ritchie Highway in Anne Arundel County. The Maryland Department of Transportation is warning motorists that there will be lane closures and delays on US 50 eastbound and westbound at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge around 1 p.m. Wednesday and on the Francis Scott Key Bridge around 3:15 p.m. Wednesday.