State hears concerns about overpass work

The stroke of a pen.

That's what Joan Lamont of North Bethesda keeps saying would put an end to the rumblings, hammerings and buzzings that have kept her awake nights since the State Highway Administration started rebuilding and widening the Old Georgetown Road bridge over Interstate 270.

"It took a stroke of a pen to create this situation; it just takes a decision and another stroke of a pen to change it," Lamont told State Highway officials and District 16 state legislators at a meeting Monday at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center.

Lamont was among several residents representing Old Georgetown Road communities who aired grievances about nighttime construction noise, and discussed relief options with state lawmakers and officials. State Highway officials listened to their concerns, but promised only to keep residents better informed and work on finding a mutually acceptable compromise.

Ginny Miller, president of Wyngate Citizens Association, said she felt the state's approach to the project did not suit the environment.

"We want to move people from point A to point B, too, but this [construction] is in the middle of a neighborhood," she said. "There are houses everywhere, and people are trying to sleep."

Miller and Del. Marilyn R. Goldwater (D-Dist. 16) of Bethesda pressed Charlie Watkins, a State Highway district engineer, about the seeming lack of work being done during the day despite having partially blocked Old Georgetown Road.

"I go by there and stop and look; there's nothing going on," Miller said. "I don't buy your excuse that you can't work during the day because you would be obstructing traffic, because you're already blocking the lanes."

Goldwater agreed. "You do have those lanes blocked," she said. "Why can't you do work there?"

Watkins said the problem was one of perception. The construction crew is working full-time on the bridge, he said, and when they are not working on top, they are working underneath. Currently, the crew is working at the bridge's base to construct the structure on which the rebuilt overpass will rest.

He tried to assure residents that the pile-driving, jack-hammering and other loud noises they heard last month between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. would not persist throughout the 18-month-long construction project. The bridge will be disassembled and rebuilt in three phases, he said, each of which will be part-demolition and part-construction.

The demolition part, which lasts about a week, is the loudest, and the most difficult to undertake during the day, given the safety hazards posed by explosions and falling road materials, plus the potential traffic back-ups. The next demolition phase will start in September or October, he said. The project is in its first construction phase, which explains why the noise has lessened recently.

Residents agreed the nighttime racket has died down. But that did not quell their concerns about upcoming demolition, which Watkins said would cost "unbelievable" time and money if not performed after-hours.

"Come this fall when school starts again, and you start up that heavy noise, there's going to be a mini-revolution in these neighborhoods," said Augustus Alzona, president of the Alta Vista Gardens/North Bethesda Grove Civic Association.

Lamont argued that Watkins had not factored the impact of sleep deprivation on drivers into his safety concerns. "If a person loses more than one day's sleep, they're functioning at a level of being drunk," she said, contending that any construction work after 10 p.m. is unacceptable.

"We have to do demolition work," Watkins said. "We can't just close Old Georgetown Road down."

But Alzona urged Watkins to consider that idea, at least for weekends. "We'd definitely be willing to consider that as an alternative to the status quo," he said.

Tom Ogle, noise program manager for Montgomery County's Department of Environmental Protection, said Watkins might be able to balance safety and traffic management with noise abatement procedures, such as doing demolition work as early as possible and using "quiet" machinery.

Sen. Brian Frosh (D-Dist. 16) of Chevy Chase asked Watkins if he would collaborate with Ogle on a noise abatement plan, even though the state is exempt from county noise ordinances. Watkins agreed, saying he would compile several proposals, and present them to the legislators and neighborhood leaders for approval. He also said he would notify affected residents of the demolition schedule in the future.

"I think they're going to be proactive from now on," Del. Susan Lee (D-Dist. 16) of Bethesda said of State Highway officials after the meeting. "If the public just knew what the highway administration had to do and why, the trust factor would go back up."