WASHINGTON — Maryland’s Department of Transportation is set to begin work on two Prince George’s County intersections this month, in an effort to “calm traffic” on U.S. Route 301 (aka Crain Highway) in Brandywine.

The project itself, too, will slow down traffic, and drivers in the area are being advised to factor in extra time during construction, which is scheduled to be finished in mid-autumn.

MDOT’s State Highway Administration will install signals and crosswalks at Crain’s intersection with Chadds Ford Drive/Timothy Branch Drive and with Clymer Drive/Matapeake Business Drive (see map below). The project will connect pedestrians from residential areas to shopping and entertainment businesses in Brandywine.

Expect both single- and double-lane closures during the project. MDOT’s contractor will work Sunday nights through Friday mornings from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Approximately 97,000 vehicles use this section of U.S. 301 everyday. State law requires drivers to stop for pedestrians at crosswalks.

“Approximately one-fourth of all traffic fatalities are pedestrians,” MDOT SHA Administrator Gregory Slater said in a statement. “Improvements like these, combined with reduced vehicle speeds and attentiveness by all roadway users, will help prevent collisions.”