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Berlin, Ocean Pines News Worcester County Bayside Gazette Logo Berlin, Ocean Pines News Worcester County Bayside Gazette

410-723-6397

Construction on Route 113 delayed by SHA again, again

(Aug. 18, 2016) The State Highway Administration has again pushed back the day work will begin on four stormwater management crossings under Route 113. The new start date target is Aug. 23.
“We’re not quite where we want to be in terms of off-road prep, so crews will stay focused on getting as much done as they can right up to the roadway edge,” Bob Rager, district community liaison for SHA, said.
Old stormwater drain pipes need to be excavated, removed and replaced with larger pipes measuring up to 72 inches in diameter as work to widen the road continues.
Work will primarily take place at night, and the road will be detoured from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m.
Three installations will be just south of Langmaid Road, and will use that street and Newark Road as bypasses. The fourth installation will take place north of Basket Switch Road, and drivers can use that road as well as Newark Road to get by.
The SHA measured the detours at about 1 mile each.
“SHA recognizes there may be some frustration among motorists and residents with the date changes, and we hope everyone understands why we approach this kind of work very carefully – U.S. 113 is the primary north-south route for this area and a key regional highway,” Rager said. “We don’t want to cut the road until we’ve got a high degree of confidence that a crossing will be done in one night.”
Rager described the work as “fairly routine,” but cautioned that crews could encounter unmarked utilities, unfavorable soil conditions and weather that could result in further delays even if work proceeds according to the new schedule.
“So crews not only have to plan for the work, they have to anticipate the unexpected as much as possible to minimize public impacts,” he said.