BERLIN – Community members will have another two weeks to provide input on the redevelopment of the Route 90 corridor.
Last month, the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) initiated a survey to gather public input on the proposed alternatives currently being considered for the Route 90 improvement project. And while that survey was set to close last week, officials have announced an extension through Nov. 30.
“MDOT SHA worked with local stakeholders on a Nov. 30 extension to give the public more time to complete the survey,” said Danny Allman, assistant media relations manager for MDOT SHA. “Feedback gathered from the survey will be incorporated into a study report which is targeted for completion by the end of the year.”
For years, local officials in Ocean City and Worcester County have advocated for improvements to the Route 90 corridor, including an expansion of the current highway and its two bridges from two lanes to four. Officials have argued those changes would not only ease access in and out of the resort for members of the public, but would improve travel for emergency service vehicles.
In August 2021, Gov. Larry Hogan announced funding would be included in the state’s Consolidated Transportation Plan for the planning phase of a Route 90 improvement project. And last month, MDOT SHA opened its public survey on preliminary improvement concepts, which include proposals for three-lane, four-lane, and reversible-lane corridors.
“Improvements along the MD 90 corridor are vital for all stakeholders, and input from the community and those who travel this corridor will be critical to help us develop a strategy to address current and future needs,” said MDOT SHA Administrator Tim Smith.
MDOT SHA said community feedback will be included in its study report, which will summarize analyses and recommendations.
Those findings will then be used for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process for future potential projects along the corridor.
“Starting in 2023, SHA will move into the environmental compliance/preliminary design stage for a project along MD 90,” Allman said.
The MDOT SHA Route 90 corridor survey will remain open for public comments through Nov. 30. Design concepts, planning timelines and the survey link can be found on the MDOT SHA website, under the project portal page.
