(April 27, 2017) Drivers on Route 113 between Snow Hill and Berlin will continue to encounter lane closures during peak travel hours until Memorial Day, with single-lane traffic limited to off-peak hours during the summer as construction crews’ complete a more than $86 million highway dualization project.
Work on the project, however, could stretch well into next year.
Maryland State Highway Administration Spokesperson Bob Rager, who said Phase 3 of the Route 113 project covers a 4.6-mile stretch of roadway between Massey Branch at the north end and Five Mile Branch Road, provided a progress update on Monday.
“We continue to do a lot of grading, most visibly at the north end near Langmaid Road,” he said. “In a couple of weeks, weather permitting, we’ll put down soil cement, which is a prelude to the first paving operation on the new roadway alignment.”
Next month Rager said traffic on Route 113 near Newark would be fully rerouted for an entire weekend.
“Motorists should look for a weekend closure in May for replacement of the railroad crossing near Newark Road,” he said. “We’ll post the exact dates soon on our message boards along U.S. [Route] 113.”
As with most road projects, Rager said extensive time is spent completing ground drainage work.
“We’ve done numerous cross-road pipes using overnight closures to minimize travel impacts, and those have gone well with just a short detour,” he said.
By June, Rager said motorists should see the first signs of base asphalt at the north end of the Phase 3 stretch. Progress has been slower at the south end as crews work to move overhead power lines, he added.
“We still have to relocate about 3,000 feet of aerial lines underground,” he said. “Even though it was a relatively mild and dry winter, it doesn’t take much to slow progress once you clear an area and expose soil.”
In light of the high voltage work, Rager said crews in some locations had to utilize special mats to maintain safe working conditions.
According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 11,000 vehicles travel Route 113 between Snow Hill and Berlin each day, with 20-year projections estimated to increase to 25,000 vehicles daily.
Moving forward, Rager said motorists should see visible progress on the north end of the work zone during the coming weeks, with grading and paving proceeding on the south end shortly thereafter.
“Once we get everything in the ground at the south end we’ll push ahead with grading and paving there as well,” he said. “We’re looking to get as much base asphalt down by this fall as we can. Depending on temperatures, we may have to wait until next spring to pave the final riding surface.”
Work on the project, however, could stretch well into next year.
Maryland State Highway Administration Spokesperson Bob Rager, who said Phase 3 of the Route 113 project covers a 4.6-mile stretch of roadway between Massey Branch at the north end and Five Mile Branch Road, provided a progress update on Monday.
“We continue to do a lot of grading, most visibly at the north end near Langmaid Road,” he said. “In a couple of weeks, weather permitting, we’ll put down soil cement, which is a prelude to the first paving operation on the new roadway alignment.”
Next month Rager said traffic on Route 113 near Newark would be fully rerouted for an entire weekend.
“Motorists should look for a weekend closure in May for replacement of the railroad crossing near Newark Road,” he said. “We’ll post the exact dates soon on our message boards along U.S. [Route] 113.”
As with most road projects, Rager said extensive time is spent completing ground drainage work.
“We’ve done numerous cross-road pipes using overnight closures to minimize travel impacts, and those have gone well with just a short detour,” he said.
By June, Rager said motorists should see the first signs of base asphalt at the north end of the Phase 3 stretch. Progress has been slower at the south end as crews work to move overhead power lines, he added.
“We still have to relocate about 3,000 feet of aerial lines underground,” he said. “Even though it was a relatively mild and dry winter, it doesn’t take much to slow progress once you clear an area and expose soil.”
In light of the high voltage work, Rager said crews in some locations had to utilize special mats to maintain safe working conditions.
According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 11,000 vehicles travel Route 113 between Snow Hill and Berlin each day, with 20-year projections estimated to increase to 25,000 vehicles daily.
Moving forward, Rager said motorists should see visible progress on the north end of the work zone during the coming weeks, with grading and paving proceeding on the south end shortly thereafter.
“Once we get everything in the ground at the south end we’ll push ahead with grading and paving there as well,” he said. “We’re looking to get as much base asphalt down by this fall as we can. Depending on temperatures, we may have to wait until next spring to pave the final riding surface.”