Unusually Wet Winter Weather Delayed Project Progress
(March 30, 2010) – Spring traditionally marks the beginning of the construction season for the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) and this year that’s even more important to the project on MD 404 (Shore Highway) in Caroline County. Initially started in fall 2009, blizzards and heavy rainstorms made it nearly impossible for any appreciable progress to be made on the project to widen 1.4 miles of Shore Highway. Today, with the spring season upon us, Maryland Transportation Secretary Beverley K. Swaim-Staley led a ceremonial “groundbreaking” to mark the re-start of the $7 million stimulus project. She was joined by Representative Frank M. Kratovil, Jr. of Maryland’s first Congressional District.
“After a season of inactivity, it’s time to get back to work on 404,” said Secretary Swaim-Staley. This project is important to the safety of residents and visitors and equally vital to the economic well being of those who were hired to do the work. It also reflects Governor Martin O’Malley’s commitment to highway safety and his commitment to the people of the Eastern Shore. We thank Representative Kratovil, Senators Mikulski and Cardin, and the rest of our Maryland delegation who made this project possible by supporting President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.”
MD 404 is a favored alternative route to the Maryland and Delaware beaches. During the summer, the portion of MD 404 from US 50 to the Denton Bypass carries an average of 24,200 vehicles daily. This segment also includes the MD 480 and MD 309 intersections in the Hillsboro area. The C-TEAM (Citizens for Transportation Emergency Action for Maryland), which was developed in response to the corridor’s crash history, provided suggestions for improvement and worked closely with SHA to secure funding for this project.
"This project is a great example of responsible use of taxpayer dollars,” said Rep. Frank Kratovil (D-MD). “We are making the highway safer, cutting down on congestion, laying the groundwork for future economic growth in the area, and creating good-paying jobs in the process. Slowly but surely our economy is showing signs of a turnaround; infrastructure projects like this one will only help speed the recovery and get Marylanders back to work.”
Past improvements along MD 404 include construction of the MD 404 Bridge over the Choptank River in 1983 as a four-lane structure, initiating the construction of the Denton Bypass and the widening of MD 404. In 2007, SHA completed widening MD 404 between Double Hills Road and Sennett Road, which followed the widening of MD 404 between South of Legion Road and Double Hills Road.
The 1.4 mile project discussed today includes adding a lane in each direction and a 34-foot median between a point just east of Tuckahoe Creek and east of Ridgely Road in Hillsboro, Caroline County. The new four-lane divided highway will also include several safety, traffic and environmental enhancements, including:
• Extending the left turn lanes in both directions from MD 404 to MD 480;
• Constructing exclusive right turn lanes in both directions from MD 404 to MD 480;
• Constructing several service roads east of MD 480 to the north of MD 404;
• Resurfacing existing lanes;
• Installing drainage ditches and culverts;
• Constructing five storm water management facilities;
• Reconstructing traffic signals at the intersection of MD 404 and MD 480; and
• Demolishing the railroad bridge over MD 404 west of Tuckahoe Creek.
Citizens who have questions about traffic operations on MD 404 or any other state-numbered route in Caroline County may call SHA’s District 2 Office at 410-778-3061 or toll-free at 1-800-637-9740. SHA encourages motorists to “Think Orange” when driving through work zones. Please slow down, stay alert and expect the unexpected. Choose to make work zone safety your business by logging onto
www.choosesafetyforlife.com to learn traffic information.
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