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Drivers Beware: Major Road Construction Set To Begin In Baltimore City

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- For the next several weeks, getting around the city will be quite a hassle as crews take on several major road construction projects.

Rochelle Ritchie breaks it all down.

Delays and backups are expected, as the city undergoes several construction projects in three areas heavily populated by drivers.

Drivers beware! The city of Baltimore is scheduled to be under a major reconstruction project for the next two and a half months.

"A lot of this work has to occur during the warm weather months. Like when you do bridge work, you can only do it during certain temperature ranges. I believe that's also true for the BGE work. That's why these things have to be done in the April--October time frame," said Frank Murphy, Md. Department of Transportation.

The first major project is the JFX in which two out of the three lanes will be closed as construction workers repair the barrier near Guilford Avenue. And getting onto the JFX at Madison will be quite a challenge, as the northbound ramp at Fallsway will shut down for 10 weeks.

"It's going to back up traffic a lot, especially for the workers from Johns Hopkins. Because when you come down Madison alone, it backs traffic up," a woman said.

Construction equipment is already in place downtown at Pratt and Light, where two of the three lanes toward S. Baltimore will be closed for BGE work, meaning only one lane will lead you to Federal Hill and Key Highway.

All three of these projects are expected to last a couple of weeks and they're all starting on the same day. Drivers call it an inconvenience, but the Department of Transportation says it's necessary.

"The good news is they're in three very different areas. So they don't affect each other. The people that are affected by the JFX closure really aren't on Frederick Avenue, for example, and probably aren't on Light Street," Murphy said.

Still, some are expecting the worst.

"Everybody's going to get home late. It's just going to be a big, hectic mess," a man said.

The Department of Transportation says construction on the JFX will be between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.

Crews will also replace the Frederick Avenue bridge. That project is expected to take a year.

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