SNOW HILL – County officials agreed to set the speed limit on Holly Grove Road at 40 mph in an effort to address safety concerns.
On Tuesday, the Worcester County Commissioners voted unanimously to post a 40 mph speed limit on Holly Grove Road in Berlin. The change was recommended by the Worcester County Department of Public Works.
“We’ve had several complaints from local citizenry about the speeding on Holly Grove Road,” said John Tustin, the county’s director of public works.
According to Tustin, Holly Grove Road has previously not been posted with a speed limit, meaning that vehicles are governed by a 50 mph limit whether drivers realize it or not.
After the county received complaints regarding speeding, Tustin’s department conducted a speed study on the road between Thursday, June 14, 2018, and Thursday, June 21, 2018. During that time, 14,472 vehicles traveled the road at an average speed of 37 mph. The study found that 59.7 percent of vehicles on the road exceeded 36 mph.
Tustin said that while excessive speeding did not appear to be an issue, he nevertheless recommended posting the street at 40 mph.
“Holly Grove is an unposted road,” he said. “People don’t know what the speed limit is.”
He said the 40 mph limit would be in line with the posted limits on neighboring streets, such as Mary Road and Sinepuxent Road.
“When you come off Samuel Bowen Boulevard everything in that area is 40 mph with the exception of Holly Grove. We would therefore recommend, despite what the speed study says, that Holly Grove be posted 40,” Tustin said.
The commissioners voted unanimously in favor of the speed limit change.