Maryland transportation officials outline $21.5 billion CTP, say Worlds Intern road repairs planned next summer

Acting Maryland Transportation Secretary Samantha Biddle told the Dorchester County Council on Sept. 16 that the department’s draft six‑year Consolidated Transportation Program (CTP) totals about $21.5 billion and preserves funding for safety, state of good repair and economic-growth priorities.

The presentation included project-level updates for the Eastern Shore and a detailed local briefing from State Highway Administration officials on several county projects and a critical culvert failure on the Worlds Intern/Bobtown Road corridor. “We are using every dollar to make strategic investments, in alignment with our top transportation priorities,” said Samantha Biddle, acting secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation.

Why it matters: The CTP sets capital spending across modes and influences which local projects receive design and construction funding. County officials asked for specific timing and assurances about work that will affect school schedules, emergency response and commercial traffic on the Eastern Shore.

State Highway Administrator Will Pines and District Engineer Mark Crampton described several local initiatives the CTP supports, including a Complete Streets quick‑build safety project at Warwick Elementary School, a planned roundabout on Maryland 392 at Maryland 14 (design completion anticipated in 2026), and resurfacing and culvert work on US 50 and Maryland 392. Pines said the CTP is slightly larger than last year’s program and that the department benefited from roughly $400 million in additional revenue from the general assembly and the governor to leverage further investment.

On the Worlds Intern/Bobtown Road failure, Crampton said SHA crews installed temporary stone and shoring around the ends of damaged pipes and capped the area to prevent vehicle axles from getting trapped. He said permanent repairs are planned for next summer when tides and school schedules make construction less disruptive. “Our best guess” for the full repair is about three weeks of around‑the‑clock work, Crampton said, adding that most pieces are precast and will be set rapidly once sheeting and dewatering are in place.

County council members pressed for detail about the detour route, bridge tonnage limits and how long heavy trucks and emergency vehicles would be able to use alternate roads. Council members and residents also emphasized concerns about first‑responder access and daily mobility for people living beyond the closure.

Several MDOT modal administrators spoke to county priorities: Travis Johnson of the Maryland Transit Administration said MTA will provide about $870,000 in grants to support local transit operations and preventive maintenance; Christy Neiser, identified in the presentation as MBA administrator for the Motor Vehicle Administration, reported branch wait times and outreach; and Asha Sowenki of the Maryland Aviation Administration described airport safety and small‑airport grants, including roughly $30,000 in support for Cambridge–Dorchester Regional Airport vehicle maintenance and equipment.

During Q&A, county officials raised whether an interagency memorandum of understanding (MOU) that commits $2 million per year toward oyster shell recovery and related work would be honored in the department’s proposed budget. Biddle said department staff have reconciled overall funding levels and “the overall funding amount is there,” and that MDOT will work with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to make any necessary interagency budget adjustments to implement the MOU. “We will be hitting the overall target that is outlined in the MOU,” she told the council.

What happens next: MDOT officials said design milestones and detailed schedules will be shared as projects advance; council members asked that further details about the Worlds Intern detour and the culvert repair be provided to affected communities before construction begins. The MDOT presentation also noted a forthcoming draft environmental impact statement and hearings for the Chesapeake Bay Crossing Tier 2 NEPA study, and continued work on the Bay Bridge eastbound deck replacement.