By Debra Messick

CAMBRIDGE - When the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration first announced overnight resurfacing of both directions of Route 50 from the Choptank River Bridge to Bucktown Road beginning Sept. 30, all seemed well.
The work, anticipated to be completed by the end of the year — weather permitting — was expected to take place during the lower traffic overnight hours, avoiding morning and afternoon rush hours. The announcement advised that “motorists can expect single-lane closures Sundays through Thursdays from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Due to fluctuations in overnight temperatures and asphalt specifications, these times are subject to change.”
SHA contractor, George & Lynch of Dover, Delaware, would be safely guiding motorists through the work zone with arrow boards, cones, and flaggers. Still, drivers were advised to “expect major traffic impacts with significant delays during work hours.”
For the first two weeks of the project, mild nighttime temperatures above 50 degrees enabled the evening work to proceed as planned. But on Monday, Oct. 14, as the season’s first cold front settled in and evening temperatures dipped into the lower 40s, SHA was forced to switch to daytime paving from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
SHA Media Relations Manager Shantee Felix explained why.
“The type of asphalt being used on this pavement improvement project requires consistent temperatures of about 50 degrees or higher to effectively resurface the road. Milling (grinding) is not temperature sensitive, and we will perform that task at night when we move to the westbound lanes,” Felix stated.
“On the US 50 resurfacing project in Cambridge, we are using a pavement mixture that has a 50 degree and higher temperature requirement. We sometimes use the 50-degree asphalt mix on higher classification roadways like US 50 or interstates (higher volume roads) where the stiffer mixture provides a better life cycle of the pavement and handles trucks and larger vehicles as they turn or stop,” she stated.
Though SHA had released statements warning drivers to expect delays and use caution, many seemed to be caught by surprise when anticipated 10-to-15-minute trips across town slogged into an hour or more in barely moving traffic. The slowly moving single lane traffic resulted in backups stretching across the Choptank River Bridge, and with two serious accidents occurring in two days, frustration turned to safety concerns.
Many took to social media to vent and post updates and warnings, while others placed calls to County Council members, County Manager Jerry Jones, State Senator Johnny Mautz and Delegate Tom Hutchinson.
Mautz was among those attempting to travel in Cambridge on Monday the 14th. It took him an hour and a half to get from the bridge to Walmart. He knew of many meetings which had to be canceled, and several which Dorchester County officials weren't able to attend, he said.
Mautz also wondered how much worse it could have been if emergency vehicles were needed to access Rt. 50. “The project should have been planned out much better,” Mautz said. He also noted that though temperatures had dropped, nighttime road paving was continuing in St. Michaels, where he lives. “Why not use a different type of asphalt, or wait until you can do the work overnight,” he asked.
Mautz urged people to attend the County Council meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 6 p.m. when representatives from MDOT will be present and public comment will be taken.
At the Dorchester County Council meeting Tuesday, Oct. 15, Councilman Ricky Travers called the paving complications “ridiculous.” Council President George L. Pfeffer, Jr. assured Travers that he and County Manager Jerry Jones had been in constant contact with SHA officials to expedite any solution that would remedy the inconvenient and dangerous conditions.
Pfeffer expressed thanks to SHA District 1 Engineer Mark Crampton for working productively with county officials, and to SHA for agreeing to increase safety measures, such as adding more visible signage and asking for vigilance by State Troopers.
“The State has instructed its contractor to check the forecast and, whenever possible, to switch work to the overnight hours,” Pfeffer said.
Council Vice President Mike Detmer began consistently posting on Facebook the status of traffic on Rt. 50, MDOT updates received by the County, and explanations about the process which commenters expressed appreciation for.
Among those on the thread was Delegate Tom Hutchinson, who responded to someone asking why the repaving was needed.
“Rt 50 has a lifespan of 12-15 years. This section is in that range. While the surface looks good, if you take a closer look the seams between each lane are cracking. Once this occurs water gets in and quickly creates potholes and issues. Also, every intersection will get upgraded crosswalks. SHA has this money in their budget for this year. With the looming cuts they decided now is the time to do it before there is no funding. I spoke with SHA directly to get a better understanding. I am very comfortable that this is appropriate,” Hutchinson wrote.
Detmer invited those wanting additional information to email him at mdetmer@docogonet.com.
According to Felix,  MDOT will continue to update the public via posts on NextDoor, Facebook, Twitter, etc. "Anyone with questions about the work can also reach out to the district office  at SHADistrict1@mdot.maryland.gov."