This information is from Maryland State Highway Administration and we are sharing for them. For questions or concerns please contact
Bob Rager
Maryland State Highway Administration
District Community Liaison
443-463-3768
The long-awaited resurfacing of Liberty and Commerce streets will begin Monday, June 8, weather permitting. I know this coincides with businesses reopening - we’ve been looking at different ways to do this with as few impacts as possible, but there will be some impacts. Here’s the plan:
- Work hours generally will be weekdays 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- The major milling/grinding will be done in two loops, each covering half of the roadway. Crews will start on Monday, June 8 at the south end of town (just past Citgo) and proceed up Commerce St. through town to the bridge at the north end. Then they will turn around and come down Liberty Street. This first loop should be done on Monday if all goes well. The same process will be repeated on Tuesday for the remaining half of the road.
- No parking will be permitted on Liberty and Commerce streets ahead of the milling. Parking may be restored once the equipment has moved through the area and the street has been swept. Our goal is to have all parking restored by 5 p.m. each day.
- Once Liberty and Commerce streets are completely milled, we’ll move to the intersections for the same work. During this phase you should be able to park on Liberty and Commerce streets again.
- Flaggers will be onsite for all operations - please watch for them and be patient with other drivers and pedestrians. Expect some delays.
- Once all the milling is done we’ll start paving, again doing half of the road at a time. This work could impact parking a little longer than the milling since the asphalt has to cool before we can allow cars or pedestrians on it.
- Toward the end of the month we’ll have a subcontractor come in to do the permanent striping and roadway markings. This again will require parking restrictions but this work moves along pretty quickly.
Some general pointers for all work phases...
- Please, please look for the "no parking" signs on Liberty and Commerce streets and make alternate parking arrangements as needed. This is the best way to ensure we get the work done and get out of your way as soon as possible.
- Expect some dust with the milling operations - close any windows facing the street and bring small items inside from the porch.
- New asphalt pavement will be HOT for quite a while. Depending on air temperature it could take a few hours to cool enough so that it’s safe to drive or walk on it.
- Expect some overspray with the line striping operations - this is why it’s important to move all vehicles off the street even if there’s enough room to paint lines next to your vehicle.
If you’re visiting a local business during this work...
- Please don’t be discouraged! We’re hoping to get this work done now and get out of the way as businesses move toward a full reopening. If you can park at a public spot away from Liberty and Commerce streets please do so. Pedestrian access will be maintained.
- If you’re making a curbside pickup, please do NOT pull in front of milling or paving equipment. We’ll try to keep the active work zones short to accommodate curbside pickups. But once we’re in front of a business the best thing is to stay clear so we can quickly move through.
- For the milling operations, we’ll look to lift the work zone as soon as we move by and clear the way for parking. This will take longer with the paving, again because it may take a while for the asphalt to cool.
If you’re expecting a delivery...
- Delays through town may be unavoidable but they shouldn’t add more than a few minutes to the trip.
- If you need to load/unload on Liberty or Commerce streets during this work please try to make alternate arrangements. If this is not possible, please contact me with a date/time of any expected deliveries and we’ll try to coordinate schedules.
Finally...
I think it’s safe to say we’ve all had our fill of the bumpy ride through town and want this work done. With pandemic-related restrictions being lifted we want to get out of the way as quickly as possible and this will require a little bit of patience and a lot of cooperation among motorists, residents, pedestrians, etc. Please bear with us - with good weather and progress the major milling and paving should be done in two weeks, with striping to follow toward the end of the month.
Our project engineer, Bhushan Patel, will be onsite through all work phases. I’ll also be in town for much of this work to monitor traffic and business access, and lend a hand where needed. Don’t hesitate to contact me anytime with questions or concerns.
Bob Rager
Maryland State Highway Administration
District Community Liaison
443-463-3768