Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC)

National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda

The Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC) resulted in federal plans to expand the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda. The expansion will consolidate services from the closure of Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. The consolidation is expected to be complete by September 2011.

The Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) are developing plans for nine transportation-related improvements for the area to mitigate the impact of the medical center expansion. Those plans will be reviewed by the Planning Board as mandatory referrals, which provide the Board an opportunity to make recommendations on federal, state and local public projects such as roads, schools and libraries. Those recommendations, developed with support from its professional planning staff, are transmitted to the appropriate government agency for consideration.

Learn more about the BRAC transportation projects by watching this clip from Montgomery Plans featuring planner Larry Cole.

BRAC Transportation Projects

Locate the nine transportation projects and click on a number to learn more about each project.

1. Cedar Lane Bridge
2. Jones Bridge Shared-Use Path
3. Old Georgetown Road (MD 187) / West Cedar Lane / Oakmont Ave
4. Rockville Pike (MD 355) / West Cedar Lane / Cedar Lane
5. Rockville Pike (MD 355) / Center Drive / Jones Bridge Road
6. Connecticut Ave (MD 185) / Jones Bridge Road / Kensington Parkway
7. MD 355 Crossing Study
8. Chevy Chase Valley Neighborhood Traffic Study
9. West Cedar Shared-Use Path

Project schedule

Previous actions

• December 6, 2010: The Planning Board reviewed the four alternatives for the MD 355 Crossing Study (#7)
• September 16, 2010: The Planning Board reviewed and forwarded comments on:
  • The West Cedar Shared-Use Path (#9)
  • The Chevy Chase Valley Neighborhood Traffic Study (#8)
• July 22, 2010: The Planning Board reviewed and forwarded comments on BRAC projects #3-#6 as mandatory referrals.
• July 15, 2010: The Planning Board reviewed and forwarded comments on the Jones Bridge shared-use path (#2)
• June 10, 2010: The Planning Board reviewed and forwarded comments on the Cedar Lane Bridge (#1) to the county Department of Transportation.