SALISBURY, Md-If you drove along Route 13 today, you probably noticed a few hard hats taking down billboard signs in Salisbury.
The removal is one of the first steps toward replacing the bridge near the Wicomico River and Main Street.
The project is being completed by the Maryland State Highway Administration. The billboard removal is phase one, which also includes installing a beam on the structure.
In a statement from SHA, the state said, "the bridge is safe for travel, but has outlived it's reliable service and will be replaced.
"MDOT SHA worked with the owner of the billboards, as well as the property owner where the billboards are located. The work should be completed by Tomorrow, or Thursday," the statement read.
But the billboard removal and bridge replacement is only one of the changes to come to Route 13.
The city is capitilizing off of the removal, and plans to utilize the space for their future rail-to-trail plans.
Salisbury Mayor Jake Day said, "The entire area along Route 13 and this section will get storm water management improvement, a pedestrian trail including a pedestrian bridge over the river, and all of that will also tie into our North-South rail-trail," Day said.
People who walk along the sidewalks, like Dylan Adkins says he's excited about the rail-to-trail because he'll have more space to skateboard.
"It's pretty nice, it's more room so I guess if you have multiple people on there walking it gives you a nice space to move over," he said.
The state says Phase one of the project will be complete by Summer 2019 and the complete project will be finished within the next several years.
Mayor Day says the rail-to-trail that will run from Fruitland to Delmar will be ready 2029, and in Salisbury 2020.