OCEAN CITY — During a fall update with the State Highway Administration (SHA) on Tuesday, resort officials continued to press for the future dualization of Route 90 to be pushed ahead of other projects on the priority list.
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, and the discussion came around to the proposed future dualization of Route 90. For years, Ocean City officials have expressed their desire to see Route 90 improvements, including expanding the highway and its bridges from the current two lanes to four to ease access in and out of the resort.
Formal letters have been sent expressing the town’s desire to have the proposed Route 90 dualization moved up the priority list for Worcester County and at least twice a year the Mayor and Council make a face-to-face plea for the improvements. SHA officials this week continued to acknowledge the town’s position on Route 90, but made no promises for getting it into the planning pipeline.
“I just talked to the administrator,” said SHA District Engineer Jay Meredith. “It’s going to take some time. Right now, there are no studies being done, but it is something we’re going to look at.”
Aside from the access point to the resort at the Delaware line, much of the traffic in and out of Ocean City relies on the two bridges at Route 50 in the south end and Route 90 at midtown. Ocean City officials for years have said dualizing Route 90 would improve traffic flow, particularly in the summer months, and improve public safety at times of emergencies or evacuations. Meredith on Tuesday told the council he appreciated their position on Route 90.
“We really want to make that strong emphasis that you want Route 90 advanced,” he said. “It’s a complicated project and there won’t be a quick turnaround, but we want you to know it isn’t on the back burner.”
Mayor Rick Meehan, who has taken the lead on pushing for Route 90, told Meredith that resort officials need to be privy to any future discussions on the priority list for state highway projects in Worcester.
“You know that’s our top priority,” he said. “That needs to be done before anything is done with the Route 50 Bridge. We need to know what the next steps are. This is so important that we want to make sure we don’t miss any steps. We need to be part of any discussion on this. It’s imperative for Ocean City.”
