OCEAN CITY — Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the State Highway Administration (SHA) briefing to resort officials this week on pending projects was the Route 90 dualization is now firmly in the planning pipeline.
On Tuesday, SHA officials briefed the Mayor and Council on a variety of projects in various stages of planning or completion in and around the resort area. Topping the list was the proposed dualization of the Route 90 corridor, which has been Ocean City’s top priority. For years, Ocean City officials have expressed a desire to see Route 90 improvements, 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 several years, Route 90 improvements had been further down the county’s pecking order in terms of priorities, behind the continued work on Route 113, Route 589 through Ocean Pines and even the eventual replacement of the Route 50 Bridge. In August, however, Gov. Larry Hogan announced funding would be included in the state’s Consolidated Transportation Plan (CTP) for the planning phase of dualizing Route 90 into Ocean City.
“Maryland 90 is a top priority not only for safety, access and the local economy, but also for its vital role in emergency response,” Hogan said during a keynote speech at the Maryland Association of Counties summer conference in August. “We are very pleased to be taking this important step forward.”
During his semiannual briefing with the Mayor and Council on Tuesday, SHA District Engineer Jay Meredith said the state was making good on the governor’s promise, but there were still funding and project planning steps to get through before the dualization of Route 90 became a reality.
This is a terrible project. Look at all the accidents on this highway due to aggressive drivers and NO POLICE on this highway to somewhat control the smooth flow of traffic.
Besides where is this traffic going, since there is major backups once you hit beach highway. There has been backups all the way back to OCEAN PINES or further.
Terrible decision with tax payer dollars. SHA are always creating highways with devastating unsafe results.
It appears it is all about tax revenue, the money, and NOT PUBLIC SAFETY.
So Rt 90 and bridge is way more important that anywhere else thru out our state correct hogan ?
As usual screw all the rest of us
Hey hogan have you rode around other roads and BRIDGES thru out Maryland lately
Might want to try it
Our roads and bridges really suck but let’s take care of all the tourist first
Route 90 east still ends up where? Coastal highway.
I think they should plan it for the last week in September along with replacing the drawbridge on 50 into OC just to mess with the wind up car crowd!!!!!! 🙂
So now they are talking about replacing the 90 bridges rather than expanding?
What are they smokin?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
Just to name a few “projects” for MD:
New Bay Bridge Span
New Cabin John (Now American Legion) bridge
New 270 Corridor (5th iteration since the 70s)
Eventual Tool lanes on the east side (MD side) of the DC area Beltway
.
.
.
Way way waaaaaaaaaaaay down the list and just classified for “planning”:
New Route 90 bridges
SHA did their reach around job for resort officials. All left “happy” as usual.
Don’t worry about it!