Fort Meade Garrison Commander Col. Erich Spragg and Command Sergeant Major Michael Behnkendorf will be joined by Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman and Maryland State Senator Pam Beidle, and others, as they mark the opening of the new access control point at Mapes Road and Maryland Route 175 on Monday, June 1.

The ceremony officially opens the new entrance which features two wider traffic entrance lanes, which expand to three lanes once motorists are through the gate and a snaking configuration to ease the amount of traffic left waiting on Route 175. Exiting the installation, there will be two lanes leading up to the guardhouse that expand to four ― two turning left, one going straight and one turning right.

The $15 million military construction project was completed by the Army Corps of Engineers and built in tandem with the Maryland State Highway Administration. The gate will be open to regular traffic on June 1 at 2:30 p.m.

Once open, the Mapes/175 gate will become the installation’s primary 24/7 access control point, taking over for the Reece Road access control point. The Reece Road access control point will now be open from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Friday and closed on weekends.