BERLIN – The Berlin Town Council agreed to give the Maryland State Highway Administration a piece of property to allow for improvements at the intersection of Bay Street and Route 113.
The council on Monday voted unanimously to convey 630 square feet of property to the State Highway Administration (SHA) and at the same time approved a trio of easements meant to allow improvements at the intersection of Route 376 and Route 113 to go forward.
“We can’t wait to see the finished product,” Mayor Zack Tyndall said.
Town staff said SHA was seeking easements on both sides of Route 376 as well as the conveyance of .014 of an acre of land at the intersection of Decatur Street and Route 376 in order to complete geometric improvements in the area. SHA wants to increase the width of Route 376 for roughly 700 feet so the administration can lengthen the right turn lane onto Route 113 north.
“One’s a temporary easement and the other two are perpetual easements,” said Dave Engelhart, the town’s planning director, of SHA’s request. “This is to enable the widening of that intersection and that corridor of Bay Street/Assateague Road.”
Town Administrator Jeff Fleetwood said that as part of the project SHA would be reconstructing the sidewalk near Dollar General.
“That existing sidewalk that runs east down 376, I think we all know it’s a sidewalk basically to nowhere then it picks up again,” Fleetwood said. “State Highway has assured me that when this is finished that sidewalk will be contiguous.”
He added that the easements and conveyance being considered would not prevent the town from eventually aligning Decatur Street and Flower Street.
“We’re not losing that as an option,” Fleetwood said.
The council voted unanimously to approve the conveyance and easements.
“These improvements can only enhance and make our community safer,” Councilman Dean Burrell said.
