WILLIAMSPORT, Md.— Harpers Ferry Road between Hoffmaster Road and the school bus turnaround on Sandy Hook Road has reopened. There will be a short work zone (approximately 200 feet) during the final phase of construction where traffic will alternate right of way. This traffic pattern will continue until all remaining construction work is complete this winter.
Work remaining to be complete on site includes completing the stone façade of the wall, canal restoration, and permanent guardrail installation. It is anticipated that some intermittent daily impacts to traffic will be required with flaggers pausing vehicular traffic once masonry work is complete to install the permanent guardrails and remove the temporary concrete barriers that were installed to facilitate the current roadway reopening. At the end of the project, the guardrails along Harpers Ferry Road will be replaced and both lanes of the road will be reopened to the public.
The road was closed due to the Level 33 dry-laid stone showing significant signs of instability and stone loss, causing distress and unsafe conditions on the supported public roadway. Repair of the wall included disassembling the existing stone wall, creating a concrete backfill, and re-assembling the historic masonry. This work stabilized the area to meet current engineering standards and ensure safety to the local community that utilizes the road. The Level 33 wall is located at Mile Marker 61.5 of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, between locks 33 and 34.
