County Leaders Approve Transportation Letter

SNOW HILL – Crosswalks at a key Route 589 intersection and a new traffic signal in Pocomoke have been added to Worcester County’s list of transportation priorities.

While dualizing Route 90 and Route 589, a new drawbridge into Ocean City and a signal at the intersection of Route 611 and Route 376 are still the initial items included in the county’s annual letter to the Maryland Department of Transportation, the missive has been updated to include a variety of other improvements in Worcester County.

The Worcester County Commissioners voted to approve the letter this week after adding a signal at the intersection of Route 50 and Route 610 to the list.

“It should be one of our priorities,” said Commissioner Ted Elder, who requested its addition to the list.

Dallas Baker, the county’s director of public works, presented the commissioners with the letter this week. He said it was essentially the same as last year’s communication but with a few additions.

“The year’s letter has everything last year’s letter had with a couple of additional items, including a signal at US 13 and MD 366 in Pocomoke, safety improvements on US 113 near Corkers Creek, crosswalks and audible pedestrian signals and countdown pedestrian signals on MD 589 at Manklin Creek and also a request to update the bathrooms at the welcome center on US 13 in Pocomoke maintained by State Highway,” he said.

Baker added that the items in the letter are no longer numbered, as that had led to confusion among state officials last year.

“We took the numbers off to clarify these are all priorities we want to see moving forward,” Baker said.

Officials are expected to discuss the list with Maryland Department of Transportation representatives at the Maryland Association of Counties summer conference in Ocean City.

Projects included in the letter include the dualization of Route 90, the dualization of Route 589, a new drawbridge on Route 50 into Ocean City, a signal at the intersection of Route 610 and Route 376, a signal at Route 367 and Route 368 in Bishopville, a signal at US 13 and Route 366 in Pocomoke, safety improvements near Corkers Creek, the elimination of flooding on Route 12 near Snow Hill, a dedicated right turn lane on St. Martins Neck Road at Route 90, audible pedestrian signal at the intersection of Route 113 and Route 346 in Berlin, the addition of audible pedestrian signals and crosswalks at the Manklin Creek Road intersection with Route 589, a strategic plan for the Route 611 corridor and a shared used path on Route 611.

About The Author: Charlene Sharpe

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Charlene Sharpe has been with The Dispatch since 2014. A graduate of Stephen Decatur High School and the University of Richmond, she spent seven years with the Delmarva Media Group before joining the team at The Dispatch.