OCEAN CITY – The eventual dualization of the Route 90 corridor continues to move forward by degrees including a survey initiated by the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) to gage the public’s input on some of the early conceptual designs.
For several years, Ocean City officials have expressed a desire to see improvements to the Route 90 corridor, including expanding the current highway and its two bridges from two lanes to four lanes to ease access in and out of the resort for the public, and perhaps more importantly, emergency services including fire apparatus and ambulances, for example.
For years, improvements to Route 90 had been further down the county’s pecking order in terms of state highway priorities, behind the continued work on Route 113 and other projects, including Route 589 and the eventual replacement of the Route 50 bridge. However, in August 2021, Gov. Larry Hogan announced funding for the Route 90 improvements, including dualization, would be included in the state’s Consolidated Transportation Plan (CTP) for the planning phase of dualizing Route 90 into Ocean City.
To that end, MDOT SHA has initiated a survey to receive public input on preliminary improvement concepts and highway needs for Route 90, also known as the Ocean City Expressway. The survey area stretches from Route 50 to Coastal Highway and is part of the state’s Route 90 Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) study.
The survey is available on MDOT SHA’s Route 90 project portal page and asks respondents to prioritize projects for the corridor that could be considered in future planning and design efforts related to traffic operations, capacity, safety, pedestrian and bicyclist accessibility and emergency evacuation, for example.
Three lanes is definitely a mistake, it will be deadlier than it is now. Build another divided two lane highway and two lane bridges the whole way, from Route 50 to Ocean City. Anything else is just delaying the inevitable, plus it will cost much more in the future. The only reason Ocean City may become less of a destination is if it ever washed away by a sanami. Start tomorrow.
Close the Bridge for Good !!! SOLVED !!!!
Build a BRIDGE TUNNEL !!!!
Why 9:02 ?
Why is SHA make 90 more dangerous than it already is. I have driven on 3 lane highways and they ar very dangerous. They need to put up secluded cameras, tag readers, and speed cameras for the aggressive drivers every 2 miles with NO warning signs. Put warning signs as you get on 90 and that is it. Make the fines triple for all violations on 90. If OC can be jerks with their laws then why can’t the STATE? OC uses tag readers. This procedure will also assist MSP with their shortages. The MSP needs to use them also where these aggressive gets off 90 on 50, since they increase their speed and weaves around others like the INDY 500.
This would cost less and be a lot safer. Why does SHA always design Highways that are very dangerous are alter highways to make them more dangerous. THESE PROPOSALS ARE ASSININE AND THESE PEOPLE NEED TO BE FIRED. These ideas ate a waste of MD TAX DOLLARS. The summer traffic on the SHORE should be made safer than more dangerous. Make OC furnish BUSES to transport vacationers from the BRIDGES THEY CROSS, SINCE THE SHORE IS AN ISLAND, TO THEIR DESTINATION IN OC AND ELIMINATE 60% OF THE TRAFFIC. CHARGE THEM A FEE. Then OC will charge them again to ride their buses. That way highways will be safer and OC greedy COUNCIL will not lose money.
CREATE ANOTHEROC ON THE WESTTERN SHORE BY THE BAY BRIDGE AND KEEP THE NUTS OFF THE SHORE.
now now…we do live in a resort town with a mindset still in the 20th century. They pat themselves on the back with laser/drone shows – yet can’t figure out going cheap on the 4th of July doesn’t work. Nor figure out how to fill rooms midweek during tourist season.
A bridge too far won’t gett’m here any faster. That was accomplished in the 80s with new bridges over Kent Narrows, Cambridge, Vienna and the outer loop around salisbury.
40 years later and still the same from Route 90 in and Route 50 in. Larry is out shortly and the newie may ess-can it all. Happens all the time. We see what happens with the 50 bridge locks up during the season. A paralyzed 10 mile island and the true last time was 4th of July week years ago.
Anyone remember the decayed mid span of the 90 bridge? Locals do since it happened off season. Full concrete repair – thats what salt water does!!!!!
mindset fix at City Hall is grossly needed. I mean, can’t figure out the tent rental challenges???
?????
No. Route 50 replacement should be priority. It will take eminent domain of homes but needed for the next 100 years.
However thats not what the city wants. They want the dual bridges for 90. Fine, go for the entire enchilada. No half backed reversible lanes requiring manual labor to make the reverse procedure. No one lane added to existing bridges. Push dual lanes all the way from route 50 forward. If you make it dual lanes to 589 – would not a backup occur going west on 90 to 589? 2 lanes into 1? Same for route 113. Needs to be dual lanes the entire 12 miles from/to route 50.
either way, still will be traffic on route 90, just pushing the traffic faster to the end at Coastal Hwy.
The island is saturated yet still not full on the summer weekdays – another problem that has yet to be solved. Really only talking about 12-16 saturdays in a calendar year.
Old Route 50 bridge needs updating to 21st century standards.
Engineers down in Sanibel Island replaced that destroyed causeway in WEEKS!!!!!!!
I don’t think they replaced the whole bridge just the entrances on both sides.
Tear it down & use a FERRY !!!!
Maryland Can’t Afford all the Dreams it has !!!! America Owes China $$$ 30 + Trillion !!!! None Paid Down !!!
A high speed subway from Glen Bernie to the Park & Ride in West Ocean City could get tourist in or out in less than an hour. It actually would take very little land including above ground support stations for power and ventilation. Probably a ten year project, the clock is ticking.
OC is already too overcrowded so makes no sense to have larger bridge capacity !!!
I talked to a builder that recently moved here…
Saloons on boardwalk will be torn down when lease expires
they plan on developing thousands and thousands of homes from the Bay Bridge to OC
all farms will disappear for government housing
Your source is a Bull Shitter 11:54. Some like to start rumors just to see where they go.
ah yes lets figure out the best way to get all the western shore scum down here every weekend! there’s money to be made!
Don’t forget NY, NJ, VA and others.