BERLIN, Md. - The Town of Berlin is changing course on its effort to reconnect neighborhoods divided by Route 113, moving away from a proposed pedestrian bridge and toward a shared-use path, safer crossings and slower traffic.
Berlin began pursuing the project after receiving federal funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods program. The original concept centered on a pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Route 113.
Sara Gorfinkel, executive assistant to Berlin Mayor Zack Tyndall, said engineering work and community feedback showed the town could potentially make a larger impact with improvements at several intersections instead of directing people to one bridge.
"We were able to look at these intersections and see that there was so much more that we could do at a lower cost," Gorfinkel said.
The town is now considering a shared-use path along Route 113, improvements to crossings and a reduction in vehicle speeds.
Gorfinkel said people participating in community engagement sessions stressed the importance of being able to safely reach destinations including Henry Park, Food Lion and nearby health care facilities without having to travel out of their way to use a bridge.
One jogger, Irene McCullough, said the proposed changes could make everyday trips easier.
"It would make life a whole lot simpler, a whole easier. Not just for me, but everyone off of 113," McCullough said.
Town officials are still determining what a shared-use path would look like. Gorfinkel said Berlin has discussed designs similar to infrastructure already in place along Route 50 in West Ocean City and on Kent Island. Engineers will also have to determine how a path could interact with utilities and other infrastructure along the highway.
Speed could also play a major role in the project.
Gorfinkel said the town learned through its work with the Maryland Department of Transportation that the speed limit would need to be reduced before a shared-use path could be constructed.
Berlin has also secured repurposed federal funding to continue studying the project. The next phase is expected to focus on engineering and determining how the proposed improvements could be built along Route 113.
Gorfinkel said the broader goal remains the same, creating safer connections between both sides of Berlin.
"I think the goal in the town of Berlin is really to do some connecting across 113, across all of those divides and to do it safely," she said.
