SNOW HILL – The Town of Berlin is seeking county support to bring a roundabout to Flower Street.
In presenting the town’s annual grant request to county officials last week, Mayor Zack Tyndall said Berlin was asking for funding to help cover preliminary costs for a roundabout on Flower Street.
“It’s become one of those highly travelled routes where speed is of concern, right through a residential district,” Tyndall said. “By putting a roundabout at this location we’re hoping that’s going to slow drivers down, make the neighborhood a lot safer and add to the livability of Berlin.”
While primarily a town street, Flower Street—which connects Bay Street to Seahawk Road—does turn into a county road near Stephen Decatur Middle School. Because of that, Tyndall said he was asking the county for half of the $244,000 that will be needed for design and engineering services associated with planning for a roundabout. The traffic circle is being planned for Flower Street near its intersection with Railroad Avenue, Schoolfield Street and Branch Street.
Tyndall said it should be attractive and also help manage the bus, tourist and residential traffic that traveled Flower Street daily.
“It’ll capture the eye when you’re driving down Flower Street as well as serve as a buffer for speed,” he said.
The roundabout funding is part of Berlin’s $660,796 annual budget request to Worcester County. That request includes the usual $465,000 unrestricted grant (which the town directs toward public safety) as well as
the roundabout funding and $73,796 for a bike path. Tyndall said the town was hoping to establish a passive use bicycle and pedestrian walking path along the railroad tracks. Last year, the county provided $39,875 toward the first phase of the project. Tyndall said that as the project moved forward and the town had acquired an easement with the Maryland Delaware Railroad, Berlin was now asking for help with the next phase.
“We’re requesting funding for phase two,” he said. “What that’s basically going to do is connect the north end of town where Heron Park is all the way to the county line down by Worcester Prep. It would run straight through Berlin, and I think some of our other municipalities are trying to work from the south end north to hopefully increase the biking and pedestrian safety options for the residents of Worcester County.”
Tyndall said he realized that the municipality had increased its grant request 30.88% but that the town was grateful for the support, as the funding helped initiatives that served the town as well as Worcester County.
