QUEEN ANNE’S COUNTY, MD — The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration has closed the Route 405 median crossover at U.S. Route 301 in Queen Anne’s County, following two fatal crashes that killed three people in the span of three days.
Officials say the closure is part of a broader effort to improve safety along the heavily traveled corridor.
“This is a safety-focused decision,” said State Highway Administrator Will Pines. “This closure is necessary to save lives and make the corridor safer for the tens of thousands of travelers and residents who use it every day.”
Emergency vehicles will still have access to the crossover at all times. Drivers are encouraged to use alternate crossovers at MD 19 (Roberts Station Road), located two miles north, or at Hayden Clark Road, 1.7 miles south.
Barriers are already in place at the intersection, which has been the site of serious traffic incidents.
Queen Anne’s County Commissioner Jack Wilson said the county supported the immediate closure, despite the inconvenience it may cause.
“Our initial reaction was to close the intersection down, to see if there’s any other safety things that can be looked at by the state so they can go a little further than they’ve done prior,” Wilson said.
The State Highway Administration noted that several safety improvements had already been implemented at the MD 405 and U.S. 301 intersection in recent years, including restriping, audible “rumble strip” pavement warnings, improved signage, and median channelizing devices to reposition vehicles for better sightlines.
Still, Wilson said the county is pushing for new solutions, including increased speed checks and new traffic lights.
“It’s well up the ladder in terms of importance to get something done there. We have been told that the infrastructure for a light, electrically, is in place,” he said.
County officials have submitted a letter to the state with some of their proposals,
“We believe a traffic light will help 85%, 90% of the problems right now,” Wilson said. “I get the frustration — you see a lot of times people will sit there and wait. Southbound traffic, northbound traffic has increased dramatically, and they get impatient, and it’s poor judgment. But that, combined with high speeds, is a bad result. If we can save one life doing this now, that makes it worth it.”
The crossover will remain closed indefinitely as officials assess long-term safety improvements.