Clear Spring residents urge county, state action after I-70 closures divert heavy traffic onto local roads

CLEAR SPRING, Md. — Clear Spring residents and town officials told the Washington County Board of Commissioners that detours related to construction on Interstate 70 are routing tractor-trailers and other heavy traffic onto narrow county roads, damaging shoulders and guardrails and hurting local events and businesses.

"I'm disappointed that I'm here. That as a citizen of Clear Spring, I had to come to Hagerstown to see my county commissioners," Steven Blickenstaff, mayor of Clear Spring, said during public comment. Blickenstaff and other residents described heavy truck traffic using routes such as Kemp's Mill Road, Rockdale Road, Broadfording Road and portions of Maryland 68 as detours around work on I-70 and a closed bridge at Route 40.

The concern centers on traffic that the speakers said was not expected to use these narrower, shoulderless county roads. Residents reported damaged guardrails and shoulders, drivers who could not negotiate tight turns, and a drop in attendance at local events. Blickenstaff described one local fundraiser and a recent "fall fest" that saw reduced participation: "We had a 100 people come in to receive the coin. But we only had 50 go out to … get their little passport stamp," he…