Construction to enhance the delivery of patient care will continue at Naval Support Activity Bethesda and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for the foreseeable future, explained members of the Joint Construction and Transition Planning Team during a forum Feb. 21 in the hospital’s Clark Auditorium.

Army Col. Anthony Meador, WRNMMC’s assistant chief of staff, explained how ongoing construction has created a need for regular forums to inform employees and beneficiaries of the status of projects and impacting changes occurring on base and in the hospital. The next construction forum is scheduled for April 18.

At the recent forum, team members focused on construction impacting Brown Drive, parking and garages on NSAB.

During the week of March 6, north Brown Drive will close for construction, and entry to the Building 54 Staff Parking Garage will only be accessible from the south entrance. Staff entering NSAB at Gate 2 (across from the Medical Center Metro Station on Wisconsin Ave., Route 355) on South Wood Road, should make the right onto Palmer Road South (past the Emergency Room), then turn left on Brown Drive and proceed to the Building 54 garage. Staff members are also encouraged to use Gates 3, 4 and 5 on Jones Bridge Road to enter and exit NSAB.

Upon exiting the Building 54 garage, staff will only be able to turn right to intersect with Palmer Road North.

Concerning the G-Lot on Palmer Road North on NSAB, it is slated to close March 20 to accommodate the delivery of temporary work spaces for hospital services. All staff with Red Parking Placards who currently park in G-Lot should plan to park either in Building 54 or Building 32.

Building 32’s access control arms are scheduled to go in effect March 13, and a coded Common Access Card (CAC) or proximity card will be needed to enter the garage.

Use of the access control arms at Building 32 should prevent unauthorized vehicles from parking in the garage, and increase available parking for authorized staff, explained Ryan Emery, NSAB transportation program manager.

All staff members authorized a Red Parking Placard who do not have access to Building 54 on their CAC should go to Building 102 — Pass & ID Building (near Gate 1 on Wisconsin Ave., Route 355), between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. weekdays to verify their CAC or proximity card is appropriately coded to allow entry into the Building 32 before March 13, Emery added.

“We are not asking all 2,800 Red Parking Placard holders to come to Pass & ID; only those who never had permissions to either garage added to their CAC or proximity card,” he explained.

Beginning March 13, all overnight staff who currently park in the Building 32 should park in Building 55 (Patient Parking Garage), where NSAB and WRNMMC security officers will direct traffic flow.

Andy Buzbee, program manager of the Command Comprehensive Master Plan for Naval Facilities Engineering Command, said the H Parking Garage, near the Child Development Center and Fisher Houses on base, will open this spring, although there is no firm date set for opening of the 600-space facility.

Sandy Dean, WRNMMC’s public affairs officer, and Regina Randolph, of WRNMMC’s Strategic Communications Department, said information and updates concerning construction will be on NSAB’s and WRNMMC’s social media sites and internet pages at: www.facebook.com/NSABethesda, www.wrnmmc.capmed.mil, and www.facebook.com/WRNMMC.

On Twitter, information is at @WRBethesda and @nsabethesda.

Information is also available by texting NSABTraffic or NSABInfo to 888-7777 to receive updates about traffic and other information.

In addition, www.dcmilitary.com posts NSAB’s Journal newspapers, which contain articles concerning construction on NSAB and at WRNMMC.

Information is also available to staff on the WRNMMC Intranet Page at the “Construction News” icon under “STAFF INFORMATION” on the Home Page (right side).

People with questions, concerns and feedback can email the Joint Construction and Transition Planning Team at dha.bethesda.wrnmmc.list.communications-team@mail.mil.