One of Howard County's capital projects is almost finished, and it will make walking to the grocery store, gym, liquor store and other destinations at Lyndwood Square safer for Elkridgeans.

Contractors have been working along Marshalee Drive for more than a month. In December, they put in sidewalks around the entrance to Lyndwood Square near Marshalee at Avalon Drive. Recently, traffic lights were installed at the intersection. 

The capital improvements, which began in November, will be complete as soon as BGE takes care of the electrical component, say officials.

"Hopefully, [the traffic light will be operational] in about two weeks, or as soon as there's power—that’s what we’re waiting for," said James Irvin, director of Public Works for Howard County, in a phone interview.

In the past week, cameras were installed atop the traffic lights.

According to Irvin, the devices are not related to law enforcement.

"Those are just used to identify cars on the side streets; that activates the cycle to turn the signal from red to green," said Irvin. "Most new signals have those—they're more efficient. Hopefully, it will improve traffic operations there and get everybody in and out of there safely."

The traffic light installation is part of Howard County's "signalization program," which calls for constructing traffic signals in accordance with Federal Highway Administration standards and modernizing existing equipment.

Other intersections included in the signalization program are Centennial Lane at Centennial High School/Burleigh Manor Middle School and Centre Park Drive at MD Route 100 in Columbia.