OCEAN CITY, MD -- Maryland State Highway officials said lane closures for continued construction work on the Route 50 bridge are likely during the summer months this coming season.
Maryland State Highway Administrator Will Pines said the 83-year-old bridge will continue to be under maintenance as the summer season approaches.
"Once a bridge is 83 years old, we know we're gonna be working on it continuously," Pines said. "There's a lot of effort that goes into keeping those aged structures going."
Pines said that any time lane closures are necessary, MSHA will work to time that construction around beach traffic, similar to the times of previous projects.
"It would be very early morning closures, like 4 am to 11 am," Pines said. "While most people are just starting to get up and come into Ocean City. Once the beach traffic starts really coming in, we'll pick up and get off the bridge."
According to Pines, crews will have platforms underneath the bridge to do as much work as possible off the road. The work will repair and maintain the bridge's concrete. However, Pines said the work is difficult to do at night due to the noise created by it.
Local restaurant Fat Daddy's Subs manager Ken Smith told WBOC he worries the construction could make summer traffic congestion worse.
"Every year, even without construction, the traffic is intense," Smith said. "Everybody's coming in at the same time and trying to go to the same place."
However, Smith said he understands the need for the infrastructure improvement.
"It's hard to argue with. If we ask 'can you wait another three months', then that's on our shoulders as business owners if the bridge collapses, or the work is more expensive cause they waited a few months," Smith said.
Pines said that concrete work will pave the way for structural steelwork on the bridge, which is expected to take place this winter.