BERLIN – County officials are expected to discuss changes to truck routes in Pocomoke after hearing concerns from citizens.
The Worcester County Commissioners agreed last week to discuss changes to truck routes at their first meeting in July. Residents of Old Virginia Road and a handful of other streets have asked commissioners to revisit a previous decision to allow truck traffic on certain roads.
“I’m the one who brought it here so it’s sort of a mea culpa for me but I want to get it right, whatever the right thing is for the constituents in my district,” Commissioner Josh Nordstrom said.
Following a decision to allow the installation of a speed camera on Old Virginia Road outside of Pocomoke High School last week, Nordstrom said he was also concerned about truck traffic on the road. He said that since that road and a handful of others had been opened up to truck traffic they’d been overwhelmed.
“When I first brought it here I didn’t see any issue with it but I have been told otherwise by the people I represent,” he said.
Nordstrom said he’d nearly been run off the road by a tractor trailer himself and that he’d seen how the shoulder of the road was worn down from where so many vehicles had to leave the road to allow tractor trailers to pass.
“There have been many many complaints,” he said. “I think we should take another look at this. I did not anticipate the amount of truck traffic coming through those roads. They’re coming from all over and they’re all size trucks.”
Commissioner Jim Bunting agreed that residents were concerned.
“I’ve also had a lot of calls from people down in Pocomoke saying to get the trucks off the road,” he said.
Commissioner Ted Elder reminded the commissioners that the change had been made in part to help a local trucking company avoid a hairpin turn.
“That should also be brought up,” he said.
Nordstrom said he was willing to help businesses if possible but not at the expense of the residents who lived on the roads in question.
The commissioners asked Dallas Baker, the county’s director of public works, to return to them with more information and recommendations in July.
