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Friday, January 13, 2017

Coastal Highway’s Poor Condition Days After Snow Explained; SHA Admits ‘Could Have Done A Better Job’

OCEAN CITY — With 10-plus inches of snow falling on the resort last weekend, it took mid-week warming temperatures and a steady rain to truly clear Coastal Highway, leading the State Highway Administration (SHA) this week to acknowledge it dropped the ball somewhat in Ocean City.

Last Saturday’s storm dumped nearly a foot of snow on the area, essentially crippling the flow of traffic in the resort area unaccustomed to so much of the white stuff in a single event. It was expected that even the main roads, including Coastal Highway and Philadelphia and Baltimore avenues, would be largely unpassable on Saturday and even into Sunday, but the resort’s main thoroughfares were still largely covered with snow on Monday and even Tuesday to some extent.

On Monday, Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan said at a Tourism Committee meeting he had been in contact with SHA officials about the perceived lack of effort in the resort following the storm and had been told SHA admitted to not deploying its full resources on Coastal Highway, which is owned and maintained by the state. At Tuesday’s Transportation Committee meeting, Public Works Director Hal Adkins said he too had received a similar explanation from SHA officials.

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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dave T: Dropped the ball in O.C.? They certainly didn't do very well outside Salisbury area either !

Anonymous said...

The real reason is that the ones in charge at the sha shop in snow hill have no idea what they are doing

Anonymous said...

Boo Hoo cry babies. You get millions from MD tax payers for your profit why don't you get snow plows or use your loader equipment to assist SHA? There are more dense areas they needed SHA help in road clearing. That is what they do where I live. They clear a country road to a housing community and does not touch my road mile away. So why is OC any different? OC always thinks they are owed money and services from the MD Tax Payer to increase their profits. Quit whining.

Anonymous said...

My son spent Saturday night in our place in Heron Harbor 120th Street. Had no issues getting home Sunday morning.

Anonymous said...

It was a mess over the weekend in oc now the crew that worked the convention center did a great job all weekend.

Anonymous said...

Personally, I find it refreshing to hear a public official admit to their performing in a less than optimum fashion. Maybe if more did so, rather than try to spin everything, more solutions could be identified.