BALTIMORE (WMAR) — With potholes causing havoc on the highways, the National Park Service completed enhanced interim repairs over the weekend on the Baltimore Washington Parkway.
The repairs were made overnight on Friday and Saturday from 7:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. between MD routes 197 and 198.
National Park Service officials say they hope the temporary repairs will improve driving conditions until a major repaving project begins in just a few weeks.
Since the end of January, crews have placed more than 130 tons of asphalt to patch potholes on the parkway.
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The problem has grown so much that back in the beginning of March, the National Park Service reduced traveling speeds to 40 mph between state routes 32 and 197.
In an effort to more quickly combat the issue, officials have moved up the start date for major repaving on the parkway. Instead of the original fall 2019 start date, the project will now begin in mid-April.
Officials say the work will come in two phases. In April, the plan is to completely repave the road from MD 197 to 198. Then by mid-summer, 198 to MD 175 will be repaved along with the access ramps throughout each area.
The entire project is expected to be completed by year's end, which is significantly earlier than the initially projected 2021 year of completion.
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