Pipe Crossings Require Short Detours; US 113 Dualization in Worcester County Proceeding on Schedule
(July 18, 2016) – The first of four overnight closures of US 113 (Worcester Highway) near Newark in Worcester County will begin Monday, July 25, weather permitting. The closures, between Langmaid Road and Basket Switch Road, will take place over a three-week period and are necessary for crews to safely install new stormwater management pipes that range from 42 to72 inches in diameter. Detours will be in place from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. during which time crews will excavate, remove existing pipe and structures, install new storm drain pipe, backfill and patch the roadway.
Three of the pipes will be installed just south of Langmaid Road; drivers can detour using Langmaid Road and Newark Road (1.1 miles). A fourth pipe will be installed just north of Basket Switch Road; drivers can detour using Basket Switch Road and Newark Road (1 mile). The nights when work occurs may vary depending on weather and site conditions. Crews from the Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration (SHA) will post detour signs and place message boards on US 113 to alert motorists of each closure. Drivers can access local roads throughout each closure.
Additional US 113 pipe crossings will be necessary through the summer and SHA will alert the public via message boards and posts on SHA’s project web page.
This work is part of SHA’s multi-phase project to widen all 37 miles of US 113 in Maryland. The current phase (Phase 3) covering 3.75 miles from Five Mile Branch Road to Massey Branch will be completed by the end of 2017. An average of 11,500 vehicles travel this stretch of US 113 each day; 20 percent of this volume is commercial trucking. SHA awarded a $32 million construction contract to Allan Myers of Fallston.
Phase 4, covering 4.3 miles from MD 365 (Public Landing Road) to Five Mile Branch Road will complete the dualization. This phase is scheduled to start construction later this year and is part of Governor Larry Hogan’s $1.97 billion investment in roads and bridges.
While SHA and its transportation partners work hard to maintain safe traffic mobility in work zones, each driver needs to actively modify his or her driving style to help prevent crashes. Stay alert and look for reduced speed limits, narrow driving lanes and highway workers. Slow down and don’t follow too closely. Work Zone Safety is in Your Hands.
A complete listing of current roadway projects is included in e-Road Ready 2016, the online brochure. Maryland drivers can also know before they go by calling 511 or visiting
www.md511.org for live traffic updates, including construction delays and lane closures.
Maps below show work location and approximate location of the four pipe crossings.