Less than two weeks after elected officials questioned the State Highway Administration’s decision to allow a developer to close the sidewalk and a southbound lane of Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda, the lane and the sidewalk have reopened.
On Thursday, the chain-link fence that previously blocked the lane and sidewalk had been pushed back to the edge of the Apex Building at 7272 Wisconsin Ave., which developer Carr Properties is planning to demolish.
But don’t expect it to remain there.
Charlie Gischlar, a spokesman for the State Highway Administration (SHA), said Friday that Carr removed the fence because it hasn’t received county permits to start full-scale demolition. Once the developer receives the permits, the fence will be put back in place and the sidewalk and lane will be closed. Pedestrians will be routed across Wisconsin Avenue in order to pass by the demolition project, according to Gischlar.
Carr is demolishing the building so it can build three high-rise apartment and office towers on the site that is located next to the Bethesda Metro station. Demolition is expected to take six months.
Gischlar said he doesn’t know if SHA is working to amend the agreement with Carr that enabled the developer to close the travel lane and sidewalk on the busy state road.
A Carr representative did not respond to a request for comment Friday.
Residents have questioned the safety of the sidewalk closure—after Carr first put up the fence, pedestrians could be seen walking in the roadway on Wisconsin Avenue rather than crossing the street.
State Del. Marc Korman and Montgomery County Council President Roger Berliner sent a letter to SHA on June 19 suggesting it reconsider its decision to allow the closures. The officials asked that SHA instead erect a canopy for pedestrians to walk underneath or use the closed travel lane on Wisconsin Avenue for pedestrians to get by the project if the agency determines the sidewalk must be closed for demolition.
Berliner said Friday he’s pleased SHA has reopened the lane and sidewalk, while no work was ongoing, but that he remains concerned about the inconvenience pedestrians will face once demolition begins in earnest.
Berliner said his office is also consulting with the county’s Department of Transportation and Department of Permitting Services to see if they can work with Carr to provide more access to Elm Street. Doing so could cut the projected demolition time for the building from six months to four months, Berliner said. Part of Elm Street is already closed near the building for construction staging.