Maryland Counties Seek Solutions as State Delays Key Transportation Projects
Worcester County officials are urgently exploring alternatives and funding options following the announcement from state transportation authorities regarding a pause on a crucial project: the widening of Route 90 and the replacement of its two bridges.
Worcester County is among several counties facing disappointing news in the lead-up to the release of the updated draft of the Consolidated Transportation Plan (CTP), which outlines the state’s transportation priorities for the next six years.
Weston S. Young, the Administrative Officer for Worcester County, stated, “They’ve instructed everyone to halt all activities in the design and planning phases immediately. It appears they are approaching a fiscal crisis based on their current projections.”
The Route 90 project is set to be “paused” when the state unveils its draft plan for the fiscal years 2025-2030.
Young expressed concern, saying, “Route 90 was specifically mentioned, but we are unaware of which other projects in Worcester may also be delayed.”
He added, “We were informed that the draft CTP would include this project along with numerous others statewide — I’m not sure if they’re using the term paused or deferred — but it seems they can’t proceed due to financial constraints.”
Worcester County is not alone in receiving this discouraging news. County leaders from across Maryland met with Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld and his team during the Maryland Association of Counties summer conference in Ocean City, where the transportation outlook was bleak.
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich remarked, “It wasn’t as dire as we anticipated. You could say it’s better than expected, but it’s still not good. Essentially, if you don’t have a shovel in the ground, you won’t see any funding to start projects.”
Elrich noted the uncertainty surrounding which projects in Montgomery County would be impacted, stating, “We didn’t receive a specific list of affected projects. The main message was that funding would continue for projects already underway, but planning for new projects may not be feasible.”
He emphasized, “Delaying planning only prolongs the timeline for getting shovels in the ground. Even shovel-ready projects are unlikely to commence given the current funding limitations.”
Maryland is grappling with a significant funding shortfall for road and transit projects. The revenues from gas taxes and other sources that contribute to the Transportation Trust Fund are insufficient to meet the growing demand for projects.
In December, Governor Wes Moore and Wiedefeld warned of a $3.3 billion projected structural gap over six years between transportation project requests and available funding, indicating that severe cuts were imminent. County leaders left the winter MACO convention in Cambridge anxious about the future of priority road projects and local transportation funding.
Requests for transportation projects consistently exceed the available federal, state, and local funding. While the December estimate was alarming, sources familiar with current fiscal projections suggest that the shortfall for this year is closer to $1.3 billion.
To alleviate some pressure on the transportation trust fund, Moore and the legislature allocated $150 million from the state’s rainy day fund. The General Assembly also approved several targeted fee increases this spring to support the struggling fund, but these measures were not expected to resolve the underlying issues.
Wiedefeld has stated, “The Maryland Department of Transportation is facing significant budgetary challenges due to slow economic growth, which negatively impacts transportation revenues, coupled with rising costs for materials and labor.” He noted that last year, the department managed to balance its budget thanks to the one-time funding from Governor Moore and additional revenue sources from the General Assembly.
A blue-ribbon panel is anticipated to convene this year to formulate recommendations ahead of the 2025 legislative session.
Elrich commented on the state’s concerns regarding funding for preliminary project planning, saying, “We expected this situation. There’s no indication that a substantial influx of funds will suddenly appear to replenish the trust fund.”
Wiedefeld pointed out that “stagnant economic growth, combined with downward revisions of revenue forecasts for key funding sources, leaves the Maryland Department of Transportation with limited state dollars to leverage federal funding for highway, transit, and aviation projects.”
“Despite these challenges, the Maryland Department of Transportation remains committed to prioritizing safety, maintaining the current system for Maryland families and businesses, and reducing fatalities and serious injuries on our roads,” he added.
On Tuesday, county leaders will receive their first glimpse of the draft of the state’s Consolidated Transportation Plan, which is updated annually to outline spending for upcoming projects over the next six years.
Following the release, Wiedefeld and his team will engage with counties to gather feedback on their priorities.
In Worcester County, the Route 90 project is still regarded as the top priority. Young stated, “This is one of several requests we’ve submitted to the state. If we had to rank them, it’s our number one priority. Governor Hogan initiated this project, but we’ve always known we’d have to advocate fiercely to keep it moving forward. This news is disappointing.”
The highway and its bridges are nearing 50 years of age, and Worcester County officials aim to “dualize” the highway and its bridges, which would likely involve replacing the existing spans over the St. Martin River and Assawoman Bay.
Young described the project as a “Hail Mary,” acknowledging its high cost. “Compared to mass transit, it’s a fraction of the expense, but it’s a significant request for the county. With 8 million unique visitors annually, this road is heavily utilized. Any accidents or incidents, like the recent sinkhole, create major bottlenecks when we need to access or exit the island.”
County leaders, including Young, noted that state officials hinted at a potential silver lining — projects requiring a match to access federal aid might still proceed. However, this would necessitate already financially strained counties to provide the matching funds.
Young remarked, “Typically, we don’t contribute to these types of projects. We’re in a phase of gathering information and will need to present it to my commissioners. We haven’t budgeted for this, and we’re already two months into our fiscal year ’25 budget. We need to identify potential funding sources.”
The exact amount counties would need to contribute as a match remains uncertain, with Young estimating it could be as high as 25%.
“This is a new process for us,” he explained. “We need clarity on whether it’s 20% or 25%, what the state’s estimated costs are for our match, and whether the commissioners would prioritize this over other projects.”
Young expressed concern that taking on the matching funds could set a precedent for shifting project costs from the state to the counties, which were previously covered by state funding.
“As a professional civil engineer, I can assure you that the bridge work will be costly. It’s not merely about expanding a road,” he added, warning that failing to secure local funding could lead to significant delays. “If they halt the project now, it could be a decade before it moves forward.”
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