OCEAN CITY, Md. - Drivers heading into and out of Ocean City will need to plan for extra travel time after the Route 50 Harry W. Kelley Memorial Bridge fully closed Tuesday for a two-week construction phase focused on the bridge’s draw span.
Maryland State Highway Administration officials say the bridge is closed 24 hours a day through Feb. 3 while crews replace components known as “nose locks,” which help secure the drawbridge when it lowers back into place after openings for marine traffic. The work also includes a retrofit to a floor beam in the mechanical room and other mechanical repairs, according to SHA public information officer Charlie Gischlar.
Because crews will have welding and other construction equipment on top of the bridge and expect the draw span to remain raised for extended periods during the work, officials said a full shutdown is needed.
During the closure, all traffic is being pushed onto a signed detour route using state roads. SHA says drivers should follow U.S. 50 to U.S. 113 northbound, then take Maryland Route 90 to Maryland Route 528, also known as Coastal Highway. Gischlar said the detour was selected because it has the capacity to handle traffic and keeps drivers on state-maintained routes.
Gischlar said the detour could add several minutes to a typical trip, with some drivers seeing up to about 10 minutes of additional travel time depending on conditions. He said the work is part of ongoing maintenance on the 84-year-old bridge, aimed at improving reliability ahead of the late spring and summer surge in traffic.
City Manager Terry McGean said the closure was scheduled for a time of year expected to be less disruptive than peak season. He also noted the start date was moved later in the month, after the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, and said the Town and SHA have been working to spread the word, including coordination with the school system due to impacts on bus schedules.
McGean urged drivers to plan ahead and use alternate routes. “Give yourself a little extra time to get in and out of Ocean City. Use Route 90. Or also, you can use Route 54,” he said.
McGean said emergency response planning is also being adjusted during the closure. He said the biggest impact is to ambulance and fire service, and that the Town is staffing a crew at the West Ocean City fire station for the next two weeks to improve response times in that area.
SHA says once the bridge reopens in early February, drivers should still expect intermittent lane closures as work continues through the end of March, weather permitting. Gischlar said a future phase of the broader rehabilitation plan includes cleaning and painting the bridge in winter 2027.