Slowdowns along Route 270 and nearby roads continue to plague drivers as the Maryland State Highway Administration works to install a new 80-foot pipe on southbound I270 prior to I370 in Gaithersburg.
A 20-foot wide sinkhole erupted June 16, but state highway officials call the surface damage “only the tip of the iceberg.” Damage beneath the road is 20-feet wide, 15-feet long and 12-feet deep, according to a tweet from MD State Highway Administration.
Repairs and resurfacing of the road are expected to continue through mid-July with lane closures happening on southbound I270 between 7 p.m. and 4 a.m.
The sinkhole has detoured six Ride On bus routes, according to the Montgomery County Department of Transportation. The detours are expected to continue for up to two weeks.
- Route 70: To Bethesda Metro Station only. Bus will stay on Germantown Road, turn left on Middlebrook Road, right on Great Seneca Highway, left on Sam Eig Highway and then return to its regular route.
- Route 71: To Shady Grove Metro Station only. Bus will travel on West Diamond Avenue, bypassing exit to I-270 south, then turn right on Muddy Branch Road, left on Diamondback Drive and then left on I370 to the station.
- Route 73: To Shady Grove Metro Station only. Bus will stay on Frederick Road and then turn left on Shady Grove Road to the station.
- Route 78: To Shady Grove Metro Station only, Bus will stay on West Diamond Avenue, bypassing exit to I-270 south, then turn right on Muddy Branch Road, left on Diamondback Drive and then left on I370 to the station.
- Route 79: To Shady Grove Metro Station only. Bus will stay on Frederick Road and then turn left on Shady Grove Road to the station.
- Route 100: To Shady Grove Metro Station only. Bus will stay on Germantown Road, then turn right on Frederick Road and left on Shady Grove Roadd to the station.
Major pipe failure looked small on surface of SB I-270, but it was only the tip of the iceberg. Damage underneath was not visible to drivers but is 20 ft wide, 15 ft long & 12 ft deep. Crews are installing new 80-ft pipe w/a focus on your safety. #mdotcares #mdotsafety #mdtraffic pic.twitter.com/b3RRsUtO5g
— MD State Highway Adm (@MDSHA) June 24, 2022
