US 50 Bridge to be Closed 10 P.M. Friday Night; Traffic Detoured to MD 90 (Ocean City Expressway)

(April 5, 2018) –  On Friday evening, the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) will close the US 50 (Harry W. Kelley Memorial Drawbridge) over Sinpuxent Bay in Ocean City to conduct needed repairs to the structure. Work will begin at 10 p.m. and proceed until repairs are complete at approximately 8 a.m. Saturday. The closure is necessary because the crews will need to raise the drawbridge to conduct the work to make the repair.

Motorists will be detoured to MD 90 (Ocean City Expressway) during the repairs. During a routine evaluation to the bridge, MDOT SHA crews discovered a small crack in a single steel beam. While the bridge is safe and operable, the repair is necessary to ensure reliability before the spring and summer season. Marine traffic will have full use of the channel during the work.

Approximately 33,000 vehicles use this bridge each and that number increases significantly during spring and summer months. Motorists should allow extra time to reach Downtown Ocean City via MD 90. 

MDOT SHA’s contractor, Covington Machine and Welding, Inc. of Annapolis, will evaluate the other beams while the bridge is in the up position. Subsequent repairs and temporary closures may be necessary next week.

While MDOT 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. For a list of all major MDOT SHA projects, click on Road Ready, MDOT SHA's electronic construction brochure. For a look at real-time commute conditions, log onto www.md511.org.