- Page 1
- Page 2 - Page 3 - Page 4 - Page 5 - Page 6 - Page 7 - Page 8 - Page 9 - Page 10 - Page 11 - Page 12 - Page 13 - Page 14 - Page 15 - Page 16 - Page 17 - Page 18 - Page 19 - Page 20 - Page 21 - Page 22 - Page 23 - Page 24 - Page 25 - Page 26 - Page 27 - Page 28 - Page 29 - Page 30 - Page 31 - Page 32 - Page 33 - Page 34 - Page 35 - Page 36 - Page 37 - Page 38 - Page 39 - Page 40 - Page 41 - Page 42 - Page 43 - Page 44 - Page 45 - Page 46 - Page 47 - Page 48 - Page 49 - Page 50 - Page 51 - Page 52 - Page 53 - Page 54 - Page 55 - Page 56 - Page 57 - Page 58 - Page 59 - Page 60 - Page 61 - Page 62 - Page 63 - Page 64 - Page 65 - Page 66 - Page 67 - Page 68 - Page 69 - Page 70 - Page 71 - Page 72 - Page 73 - Page 74 - Page 75 - Page 76 - Page 77 - Page 78 - Page 79 - Page 80 - Flash version © UniFlip.com |
Page 12
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
November 8, 2013
State’s Worcester Focus Remains Dualizing Route 113
By TRAVIS BROWN
STAFF WRITER
SNOW HILL – The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) made its annual pilgrimage to Worcester County again this week to update elected officials on transportation across the state. As is tradition, several of the commissioners asked about the status of their own pet projects as well as recent changes with the Motor Vehicle Association (MVA). “Most importantly, I will outline for you what the department plans to accomplish in the near term to upgrade our transportation network
statewide,” said MDOT Deputy Secretary Wilson Parran. It’s been a busy year for MDOT. Wilson gave a general sketch of some statistics for the year, including citizens served and projects in the works. BWI Marshall Airport served about 22 million passengers in 2012 and moved roughly 120,000 tons of freight. There was an estimated economic impact of 94,000 jobs, $3.6 billion in personal income, $5.6 billion in business revenue and $2 billion in local purchases. Maryland toll facilities saw over 127,000 vehicles pass through with about 71 percent of those tolls col-
Welcome to Ocean City
e Welcom Golfers!
Breakfa s Sandwic t hes All Day!
9403 Coastal Hwy., Ocean City, MD • 410-524-4400 CONVENIENT DRIVE-THRU OPEN 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Sun.-Thur. • Fri. & Sat. 7 a.m.-9 p.m.
RETURN OF
lected electronically, which is billed as a time and money saver for residents. Likewise, the Maryland Transportation Authority (MTA) reached a public ridership of 153 million in FY2012. Ridership for the Washington Metropolitan Area system closed in on 124.5 million as well. The State Highway Association (SHA) reported assisting 27,000 stranded motorists and responded and cleared more than 17,000 vehicle incidents, saving $1.1 billion in vehicle travel costs in CY2011. The SHA is also working on a number of projects in Worcester, all of which are being closely watched by the commission. Commissioner Virgil Shockley took the opportunity to thank the SHA and District Engineer Donnie Drewer for the recent installation of a stop light at the intersection of Routes 12 and 113 south of Snow Hill. That intersection has been plagued for years by collisions, including fatalities. The community had been trying for more than a decade to get a light installed and this year the SHA did just that, despite its own traffic survey determining that a light was unnecessary. “It’s a heck of a relief to the rescue team at Snow Hill and to everybody else who has to go down there,” said Shockley. “It’s working at about 95 percent right now.”
Drewer was glad to hear it and told Shockley that the intersection should further improve with the addition of J-turns in the area. However, Shockley is skeptical about the addition of J-turns to nearby Route 365, also known as Bay Street. “Let’s talk about Bay Street for a minute. I’ve had a lot of people basically tell me point blank that if you’re going to do what you think you’re going to do there,” he told Drewer, “and intend to do there, they don’t want it.” Drewer said Shockley’s concerns were noted and the SHA will monitor the project as it advances but the expectation is that Bay Street will be improved by any additions. Commissioner Judy Boggs then asked about the status of upgrades to Route 589, a project that has been studied for dualization in the past. The north-south road runs from Route 113 to Route 50 and has seen tremendous commercial growth in recent years as the residential community of Ocean Pines has seen more year-round residents. “As I’ve said before, this is a high priority right after Route 113 because it’s the only access to the outside world for about 15,000 people, with the water behind them and all of them have to access Route 589,” said Boggs. As far as an expansion and renoSEE NEXT PAGE
CAPPY HOUR
4-7 p.m.
25% OFF
ALL ESPRESSO BASED BEVERAGES
Coastal Drug Institutional Pharmacy 10231 Old Ocean City Blvd. Berlin, MD • 410-629-0089
(On The Campus of Atlantic General Hospital)
BEST CREAMED CHIPPED BEEF ON THE BEACH
Since 1965
BOOK STORE IS CLOSING
50% OFF All Books
General’s Kitchen
The Original House Of Chipped Beef
Open 6:30 a.m. 5 Days A Week
CLOSED TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY
House Specialty
The Original House Of Creamed Chipped Beef On Toast Or Biscuit With Hash Brown Potatoes Or Grits
410-723-0477
74th St. & Coastal Hwy. At The Beachmark Motel
We Make This From Scratch!
OUR OWN RECIPE! Your Hosts,
Voted Best Breakfast In The Washington Post 2005
Golfers Welcome Ride The Bus To Us!
“Best Of Ocean City”
Bob Noll And Law Adkins
|