DENTON, MD. - The Maryland State Highway Administration is considering potential changes to Maryland Route 404, and the state has been conducting a planning study in Caroline County to assess the necessary improvements.
The planning study, undertaken by the Maryland State Highway Administration, aims to address the traffic congestion issues along a small stretch of Maryland Route 404. The discussion primarily revolves around the possibility of widening the road to alleviate traffic congestion.
Barry Kiedrowski, an engineer with SHA, explained, "One of our concepts actually looks at Harmony Road up to Federalsburg Road 313. One of the other concepts takes it from Harmony Road to Greenwood Road."
According to SHA officials, the proposed concepts include not only road widening but also intersection improvements, such as the addition of bike lanes or medians, with the overarching goal of improving traffic flow for drivers.
Carmelette Harris, SHA's project manager for the MD 404 project, emphasized the necessity of these changes, stating, "Some [drivers] have said it takes them a while. Sometimes they stay in the house on the weekends because it's just so congested. So hopefully, this will allow some relief for them."
Lee Weaber, has long experienced the congestion along this route. Weaber recalled, "Traffic will be backed up for hours on weekends, particularly holiday weekends, and it'll be all the way from Bridgeville all the way into Denton. I mean, backed up for what, 5, 6 miles sometimes. It's just bumper to bumper."
Weaber, like many others, advocates for lane expansions, saying, "We know we need to go ahead and invest in infrastructure, and we definitely have to go ahead and expand if we're gonna handle the traffic."
SHA encourages drivers to participate in a survey regarding this study. The survey is open until May 8.
