MDOT announces work on Route 50 bridge in Ocean City starts next week

OCEAN CITY, Md. -  MDOT is planning to continue work on improving the Route 50 bridge that is a main corridor going to and from Ocean City next week. 

One local John Gasparis said he thinks the bridge could use some work. 

"The bridge looks rusty from down below, so I don't know the integrity of the pylons but how it looks up doesn't bother me," Gasparis said.

MDOT announced the start of the work will be under the bridge, where the draw bridge lifts. MDOT said car traffic shouldn't stop or being effected by the initial work. But in January/February of the new year, MDOT will start to work on corroded sidewalks. They said that work may cause some single lane road closures which the town will be aware of ahead of time..

Another local Ron Hamm said he doesn't mind the work but he has some reservations.

"If the bridge needs updating then yeah, I agree, do it but definitely not during peak times," Hamm said.

But with the improvements to the Route 50 bridge, some said there are bigger issues at hand like the need for better sidewalks and lanes on the bridge for pedestrians and bicyclists. 

"I'd like to see a little bit safer walk across across the bridge," Hamm said.

"Ocean City pretty much needs to enforce the law in regards to cyclists and the motorized vehicles that are riding on the sidewalk," Gasparis said. "They need to widen the bridge, put a bike lane into the right lane so people can travel without being on the sidewalk."

MDOT said all work being done on the bridge is for the safety and upkeep of Route 50. The work on the Route 50 bridge is expected to continue intermittently through spring 2025, weather permitting.