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Reisterstown Road To Shut Down For Major Upgrades

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A two-year shutdown for one of Baltimore's most-traveled roads. When it reopens, Reisterstown Road will have a new look.

As Gigi Barnett explain,s it will be much safer as well.

Repaired sidewalks, upgraded traffic lights and new concrete. The city says Reisterstown Road needs a facelift--and it's going to take two years to complete it.

"There's a couple of great big potholes that you have to kind of maneuver around," said driver Cynthia Vanderhall.

That's just one part of the high-dollar project. It starts a block northwest of Fallstaff Road and ends at Newton Avenue, about a block southeast of Northern Parkway.

The city says it wants the boom in business along that stretch of road to continue and a repaired Reisterstown Road may help.

"There's been investment in the area, retail investment. The shopping center has been made over and the city wanted to kind of help leverage more investment," said City Department of Transportation Senior Adviser Frank Murphy.

"Two years is too long," said Tahlia House.

And that's the sticking point for shops along one of the city's most-traveled roads.

House is one of the managers at Bare Feet Shoes in Pikesville. She says the end result could draw more customers, but until then, she's afraid the construction will keep customers away.

"Customers are not going to have a way to get here," she said. "Business is already slow, so I'm wondering how that's going to affect people's shopping experience."

The two year project begins on May 27.

The Department of Transportation says there will be only one lane in both directions for drivers and a good detour during that time is Park Heights Avenue.

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