The sign announcing the closure went up last week.

The Charles St entrance to 695 East is still closed.

It appears the ramp to Bellona from Charles St, with the entrance to 83N & 695W will be open at this time.

Alternate routes would be York Rd, which is not a far jaunt, and Falls Rd, which is to the west of Charles St off Joppa Rd, coming from the other part of Bellona.

Be cautious and watch for directional signs to help navigate through the closures.

This is all part of the Charles St Bridge Construction project.

The light structures were installed over the last few days, but I am not sure when they will be used in practice. The roundabout will be going away completely, and the light will take its’ place.The State Highway Administration’s website site does not have exact details as to whether the light will be functioning first or if the roundabout will be closed. There could possibly be more closures as the transition occurs.

The Charles St entrance to 695 East is still closed coming south from Bellona.

Earlier Charles St closures included ramps to 695 W and lanes on the main road and the Beltway.

The SHA’s site says other changes will be occurring, including:

Reconfiguration of the two-way access road/ramp from Bellona Avenue extended to westbound I-695 and northbound I-83. SHA will separate the local traffic to the businesses from the ramp traffic.

- Removal of the roundabout at the Charles Street and Bellona Avenue intersection and the construction of a new traffic signal and turning lanes.

- Widening of Charles Street to provide an auxiliary lane on northbound Charles Street between Kenilworth Drive and the ramp to the I-695 inner loop and to add five-foot bicycle lanes in each direction between Bellona Avenue and Kenilworth Drive.

- Construction of sidewalks and other pedestrian accommodations on Charles Street.

- Addition of an auxiliary lane along westbound I-695 (Outer Loop) between the York Road (MD 45) interchange and the Charles Street interchange.

- Aesthetic enhancements, such as architectural treatments and ornamental lighting on the bridge, to distinguish it as a gateway to the Lutherville community and the Charles Street corridor. Charles Street is a Maryland Scenic Byway and a National Scenic Byway.

- A landscaped median along Charles Street between the bridge and Kenilworth Drive.

These will be great changes for the area, and should be completed in Spring of 2012.

Traffic before had been routed coming north into the right lane to enter the Beltway, and those traveling south have used alternate routes to access I-695W since that entrance closed in early April.

According to the State Highway Administration’s press release, this new closure should be temporary, about two weeks.

The big upcoming change should come at about August 24th, when the west bound ramp from northbound Charles Street should re-open. The ramp to eastbound I-695 from Charles Street remains closed for the time being.

Weekend work will really change things. Look out for these big issues the weekend of August 27 -30 (or 9/10-13 in case of inclement weather):

Charles Street Bridge Traffic Switch – Weekend Work

• 9 p.m. Friday, August 27 to 5 a.m. Monday, August 30: Crews will shift all Charles Street traffic from the old bridge to the new bridge.  The Charles Street Bridge will remain open to vehicular traffic during the shift, with flagging operations and intermittent traffic stoppages throughout the weekend.

The ramps from southbound I-83 (Harrisburg Expressway) and eastbound I-695 to Charles Street will be temporarily detoured to the MD 45 (York Road) interchange during the weekend.  The flyover ramp from southbound I-83 to eastbound I-695 will remain open during the bridge traffic shift.

In case of inclement weather, the Charles Street bridge traffic shift and temporary ramp closures will take place the weekend of September 10-13.   This interchange currently carries more than 120,000 vehicles per day along I-695, with 55,000 vehicles per day along Charles Street.

Additionally, the left-turn ramp from southbound Charles Street to eastbound I-695 (Inner Loop) will remain closed until late fall, and the posted detour through Lutherville will continue.

Currently there are two avenues to get onto 695 West and 83 North. One is the ramp from Charles Street going north, the other is from the circle at Bellona Ave extended.

Beginning April 4, the ramp from Bellona Avenue extended will be closed long term.

The street will be open for the businesses located along there, including some medical offices, a real estate office, and the Greater Baltimore Board of REALTORS ®. Leaving those buildings to access 695 West and 83 North, motorists will have to head back to Charles Street South, go around the circle, to get to Seminary Avenue and then York Road, or they will head South on Charles St, turn right at Bellona, and head to Falls Rd to go West.

These are big changes for those familiar with the interchange, and a long way around for those leaving those office buildings.

Motorists heading north on Charles will still be able to access 695W and 83N from the right lane entrance ramp.

For those motorists on 695 West wanting to access 83 North must remain to the right, as according to the State Highway Administration website:

Along I-695, SHA also will shift the two lanes on the ramp from westbound I-695 to northbound I-83 to the far right side of the bridge so crews may work in the center section of the bridge.

The closure is expected to last about six months.

This means cars coming south on Charles Street from Seminary Avenue or the circle at Bellona Avenue will not be able to make a left to enter the beltway going east.

From the State Highway Administration‘s website:

The official ramp detour route: north/eastbound Bellona Avenue to eastbound MD 131 (Seminary Avenue) to southbound MD 45 (York Road) to the York Road Interchange ramp to eastbound I-695…

Temporary traffic signs will guide motorists through the official detour route in Lutherville and the ramp closure will remain in effect until early fall 2010.

So yes, this will be a big change for those traveling south on Charles Street from the circle & Seminary Avenue, but the long term benefits should much outweigh these inconveniences!

The Maryland State Highway Administration published a notice of this change on their website. Beginning Monday the 21st, Eastbound 695 will be three lanes going through from the I-83 North interchange and the Charles Street overpass. Towson residents who live off Charles Street need to note that they will have to stay in the right lane at the split in order to be able to exit.

Currently, there are four through lanes on I-695 E at Charles Street, so this will affect traffic tremendously. This will be the case through Spring 2010, so be prepared for delays when traveling in this area.

I also noted on the site that the entire project now is projected to be completed in 2012, instead of the Fall 2011 date originally planned.