(September 8, 2014) – The State Highway Administration (SHA) will resurface 6.5 miles of US 50 (Ocean Gateway) from the US 301 split to MD 404 (Queen Anne Highway) beginning this week. The work was originally scheduled to begin early August; however, to avoid major traffic impacts, SHA and the contractor opted to delay work until after Labor Day.

On Wednesday, Sept. 10, crews will begin inspecting the pavement to determine areas that may require deep (14 to 18 inches) patching, closing a single lane Mondays through Fridays between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Inspectors will monitor traffic flow and should major backups occur, they will reopen the traffic lane. The pavement inspections will take approximately two weeks to complete.

Once inspections are complete, SHA’s contractor will begin patching, grinding (removing the top layer of asphalt) and resurfacing US 50. The road work will be conducted in two separate phases, starting at the US 50/US 301 split and moving eastward for about three miles.

 

Motorists should expect single lane closures on US 50 between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m., Sundays through Thursdays. Crews will use variable message boards, cones and barrels to guide motorists through the work zone. No construction work will be conducted during daytime hours Saturdays or Sundays. The resurfacing of the first phase is expected to continue into late fall.

The second phase of resurfacing, continuing from the end of Phase 1 will begin mid-spring and be completed by mid-summer 2015. The work plan will be identical for the second phase with, resurfacing being done during nighttimes only until the project is complete.

SHA’s contractor for the $5.8 million project is David A. Bramble of Chestertown. Motorists can obtain real-time traffic conditions by logging onto www.md511.org.

While SHA and its transportation partners work hard to maintain safe traffic mobility in work zones, each driver needs to actively modify his or her driving style to help prevent crashes. Stay alert and look for reduced speed limits, narrow driving lanes and highway workers.  Slow down and don’t follow too closely. Saver Driving. Safer Work Zones. For Everyone!