WB Randolph Road has Reopened After Being Closed For Approximately 9 Months

Last week we let you know that final paving was underway today at Westbound Randolph Road in Rockville/N. Bethesda. The road officially reopened a few days ago.

Westbound Randolph Road has been closed since August 30th of last summer. The closure was needed for underground electrical work as part of Pepco’s new White Flint Substation. Traffic heading westbound on Randolph Road has been diverted to Parklawn Drive and then directed to Rockville Pike (MD-355).

Pepco provided the following update in February, letting residents know of what was happening with the project:

“Dear Member of the North Bethesda/White Flint Community:

We are continuing construction of a new substation in the rapidly growing North Bethesda/ White Flint area to enhance reliability, modernize our electrical infrastructure and help meet increasing energy needs in your area. Work on this new substation and corresponding overhead and underground construction began in April 2020. We appreciate the involvement from the community on the progression of this important energy infrastructure project and want to share a few project updates with you.

In August 2021, we began excavating two new tunnels under the CSX Transportation railroad tracks on Randolph Road between Nebel Street and Parklawn Drive. This work was initially expected to be completed by the end of February; however, work is being extended through April due to the following:

• Weather Conditions: Persistent and unusually cold temperatures have slowed progress and limited our ability to drill daily. Freezing temperatures also have limited our ability to operate drilling machinery, as it requires the use of water for operation.
• Soil Type: We encountered a hard, sticky clay that was not initially captured in samplings taken prior to beginning this work. This clay has reduced the anticipated rate of drilling, slowing overall progress. Our team is currently looking for alternative drilling equipment to help expedite our efforts.

The final asphalt restoration on Randolph Road is expected to be completed this spring, following the completion of the tunnel excavation. All asphalt restoration of surrounding sections along Nebel Street and Parklawn Drive is scheduled to be completed by May 2022.

Completing this work in the spring, under more optimal weather conditions, will help ensure a high-quality restoration in the impacted areas and reduce the likelihood of any necessary rework.

This excavation delay, along with other factors, has prompted us to adjust our project timeline. We constantly evaluate our infrastructure projects and customer programs as we work to help balance affordability of the service we provide to customers with the reliability and experience our customers expect from us. Because of this, we have decided to defer portions of this substation project, which will instead result in completing the entire substation project in 2024. We will continue to share updates as the full project progresses.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work safely and efficiently to complete this important project. If you have any questions, please reach out to me at [email protected].

You can also find the latest project information on our website at pepco.com/ReliabilityProjects.”