WICOMICO COUNTY, Md. - Wicomico County is reviving its push to reopen Barren Creek Road, a key connector near Mardela Springs that has been closed since a flash flood severely damaged it in the summer of 2016.
The road, once a convenient route for residents and emergency vehicles, has remained impassable for nearly a decade. It is now back on the county’s Transportation Priority Letter to the state, a list of infrastructure projects seeking state funding. The county council approved the list and it has now been submitted to state officials for consideration.
Wicomico County Executive Julie Giordano said restoring the road is a priority for many in the community.
“We have a lot of people that are really in support of that,” Giordano said. “We have the fire department, the police department, the school system, small business owners — all of these people want this road fixed, and right now it's dangerous. It's a very steep drop-off and it needs to be fixed.”
Barren Creek Road serves as an alternate route for emergency vehicles and local residents trying to avoid what can be heavy traffic on U.S. Route 50. Local resident Bob Van Meter says the closure has been a serious inconvenience.
“The bridge is an artery, an alternate route for the people that live in this community,” Van Meter said. “To get emergency equipment around — this is actually a bypass that emergency crews can use — and just besides that, it's convenient to the community.”
Some residents, however, have expressed concerns that reopening the road could increase traffic accidents, particularly at its intersection with Route 50.
Although Barren Creek Road had been included in previous years’ transportation funding requests, it was removed from the county’s 2024 priority letter. Its reinstatement this year marks a renewed effort to secure the funding necessary to repair and reopen the road.