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Monday, July 20, 2020

SHA Continues To Seek 589 Intersection Solutions; Developer Thinks OPA Board Responsible For Problems

OCEAN PINES – State Highway Administration officials continue to consider a roundabout at the Ocean Pines north gate as they look for a solution to Route 589 traffic concerns.

The Worcester County Commissioners this week advised the State Highway Administration (SHA) of traffic safety issues at the entrance to the Ocean Pines Health Pavilion on Route 589. SHA District Engineer James Meredith said in a statement Thursday the agency was exploring potential solutions, including a roundabout at the nearby north gate to Ocean Pines.

“Safety is our top priority,” Meredith said. “We’ve been having ongoing discussions with Worcester County and the Peninsula Regional Medical Center about making MD 589 safer.”

At the request of the commissioners, Chief Administrative Officer Harold Higgins advised SHA in a July 14 letter of traffic safety issues related to the Ocean Pines Health Pavilion.

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12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Planning and Zoning and the County Commissioners are 100% responsible. They approved plans for this huge medical complex with the wonky half-assed egress.

Anonymous said...

North end only.. too many no local folks (May-Oct) will be confused per usual.

Anonymous said...

A roundabout is a great idea - the seniors are already confused while driving so that will make it all better

Anonymous said...

You better teach people to use it. People still go backwards in the one by Wor WIC all the time. I almost had another head on collision just last week. People come out of royal farms and go left.

Anonymous said...

Construction ONLY during offseason - please!!!

Anonymous said...

Fix the RT 50 bridge first.

Anonymous said...

A roundabout would be a total disaster. Most people use 589 in the summer to get to Rt50 and on to OC. They need to make traffic use Rt50 that is fartyher south of 589. I can just see those idiots trying to get to OC causing major issues with people trying to get out of Ocean Pines to get on 589. The only real back up is in the summer months and just put up with the heavy traffic that time of the year Somehow they need to divert those going on to OC to use Rt50. What do they plan for those back ups on Rt90 that sometimes is back as far ar Rt50.A little back up coming out of Ocean Pines is no big deal, just need to be a little patient, don't try and reinvent the wheel!

Anonymous said...

Your kidding me right? That little med complex is worth all this traffic reconstruction. The aholes around that area need to slow down, and stop acting like they're the only ones with anywhere to go. Make the speed limit 25, radar and ticket the hell out of them until they learn.

Anonymous said...

Let's see, the developer was in cahoots with the county (on many levels) and got the plans and permits approved for that medical center with no viable solution to the traffic issue. Who else would have been able to do that?

Then they thought that they were going to schmooze Ocean Pines into accepting the redesigned North Gate entrance that they had planned from the very start. When Ocean Pines balked at that idea, the developer (with lots of help from the County Commissioners and State Highway) decided to strong arm Ocean Pines into accepting the proposed developer entrance solution, or face having the stupid roundabout shoved down their throats. They (developer, Commissioners, and State Highway) thought Ocean Pines would be forced into accepting the developer proposed entrance. When Ocean Pines STILL didn't budge (good for them) State Highway and the County Commissioners are now going to try to push the "safety" issue to force the roundabout - when THEY were the ones who allowed this fiasco to occur in the first place!

What REALLY needs to be investigated is the relationship of Gillis Gilkerson with both the County Commissioners AND State Highway. An awful lot of "backroom" deals occurring there, that's for sure. And not just in THIS instance.

Anonymous said...

8:54 - How is that a solution? In order to go south on 589 when leaving the medical center the cars have to turn around further north on 589. This means that they are using The Pavilions office park or someone's driveway to make a U turn. It's idiotic. This medical center should NEVER have been given the green light without a proper entrance and exit solution on 589. Speed has practically nothing to do with it.

Cracker said...

What about all that traffic the casino brought to 589? Wow, it's a cluster fk trying to get in and out of there. I guess they need a traffic circle there too. And don't forget all the crime the casino brought to west Ocean City, so much that it's overflowing to the boardwalk.

BLM member said...

Close the area down,
and build a large Section 8 housing development.

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