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The last segment Montrose Parkway between East Jefferson Street and Randolph Road in Rockville is slated to open Friday evening, highway officials reported.

At the same time, drivers traveling east on Montrose Road will no longer have a direct route to Randolph Road.

Beginning at 8 p.m. Friday, drivers traveling on Montrose Road wishing to get to Randolph Road will be required to turn right onto Old Georgetown Road (Route 187) and then an immediate left onto the new Montrose Parkway, according to State Highway Administration officials.

Montrose Parkway runs parallel to Montrose Road to the south and is designed to carry east-west through-traffic from Interstate 270 to Rockville Pike and beyond.

Traffic coming from I-270 will now be allowed to continue straight through to Randolph Road instead of having to get off the parkway to get back onto Montrose Road to reach Randolph Road.

Drivers heading north on Rockville Pike wishing to turn right onto Randolph will be shifted onto a newly constructed exit ramp in order to do so, highway officials said.

The new traffic pattern is part of the final phase of the Rockville Pike and Montrose Parkway/Randolph Road project in Montgomery County.

The road project is relocating existing Randolph Road slightly south to align with Montrose Parkway and the construction of the new interchange at Rockville Pike.

The construction is necessary to improve safety and traffic flow at the busy Rockville intersection, state highway officials said. It is expected to be complete by late fall 2010, weather permitting.

The State Highway Administration will partner with county police and use message signs, barrels and cones to guide motorists through the work zone during the traffic shift this weekend.

If the switch is delayed due to bad weather, it will be rescheduled to Dec. 4.

For more information, call SHA's District 3 office at 800-749-0737.