District 1 – The Historic Community of Oella, Maryland
The Baltimore County Department of Public Works and Transportation recently announced that the construction of a retaining wall along the west side of Old Frederick Road between Bryans Mill Way and Frederick Road in Oella, along with grading of the hillside and traffic studies is moving forward as expected albeit a little later than originally expected.
Background:
A severe rain event in Spring 2018 created significant erosion, where the steep hillside sloughed into the roadway. A temporary barrier was placed, and the existing Red Trail was relocated.
Updates:
February 2026:
Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in June 2026, and be complete in early 2027. DPWT will notify the community when a construction start date is finalized. See the Winter 2026 Project Update Newsletter for more information.
August 2024:
Initial (30 percent) design of a one-way option was presented at a community meeting on August 22, 2024. View the presentation and video of the meeting.
October 2023:
Multiple options were presented at two community meetings, the 2022 meeting and October 26, 2023 meeting, including:
- Closing this section of the road permanently and stabilizing the area of existing road with a green space
- Keeping the road open and installing a retaining wall or soil nails to hold the slope
- Converting the road to a one-way and stabilizing the remaining slope
Current Status:
Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in June 2026, and be complete in early 2027. Old Frederick Road in Oella will be closed from Bryans Mill Way to Frederick Road during construction. After construction is complete, the road will only allow traffic in one direction, from Frederick Road towards Bryans Mill Way.
Graphics and Media:
Additional Documents:
- 2022 Community Meeting Presentation
- October 26, 2023 Community Meeting Presentation
- August 22, 2024 Community Meeting Presentation
- February 2026 Project Update Newsletter
Contact
For more information about Oella’s Old Frederick Road Slope Stabilization Project, email the contact person at Baltimore County Department of Public Works and Traffic here.
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