TOWN OF ELKTON
PUBLIC NOTICE
MARYLAND 7D – DELAWARE AVENUE
PROJECT NO. CE340A21
BIG ELK CREEK BRIDGE TO CRESWELL HILL
ELKTON, CECIL COUNTY, MARYLAND
FALL 2009
The Maryland State Highway Administration will initiate a rehabilitation project on MD Route 7D – Delaware Avenue, between the Big Elk Creek and Creswell Hill, adjacent to Meadow Park, commencing in the fall of 2009. MD 7D divides the John P. Stanley Memorial Park (Meadow Park) into two sections, East Meadow Park and West Meadow Park. The project consists of resurfacing and reconstruction of the roadway, maintaining the current horizontal alignment while raising the vertical profile up to 1.7 feet. The project will include replacement of the culverts under the entrances to West Meadow Park and East Meadow Park, and the removal and replacement of a wooden pedestrian bridge that provides access over a drainage ditch to West Meadow Park. The majority of the project site is located within the 100 year floodplain of Big Elk Creek and experiences frequent flooding. Raising the roadway and re-grading the side ditches will reduce the accumulation of silt on the roadway during flood events.
By raising the roadway, SHA will also raise the elevation of the ground adjacent to the roadway. The grade of the slopes into the roadside drainage ditches will be flattened for safety reasons and the ditches will be reconstructed to an adequate capacity to hold runoff from rain events. These factors will result in the drainage ditches being farther away from the road, which prompted the acquisition of right-of-way from the Town of Elkton. Total right-of-way included 0.25 acre (10,660 sq. ft.) with 1.1 acre (48,161 sq. ft.) of perpetual easement, and 0.07 acre (3,124 sq. ft.) of temporary easement.
Access to the entrances to Meadow Park located on Delaware Avenue will be open and maintained at all times. Delaware Avenue will be closed from just north of the entrances to Meadow Park to the northern approach of the Big Elk Creek Bridge for a maximum duration of six weeks. SHA has no plans to reconstruct or modify the bridge over the Elk Creek during this project. Traffic will be detoured using MD 213 (South Bridge Street). Local emergency services have been notified of the temporary road closure and detour. The public will be notified of the project by posting an information flyer in public places, along with a notice published in the Cecil Whig, as the project nears start-up.
The only park access located within the project work area is a wooden pedestrian bridge over a roadside drainage ditch into Meadow Park west. SHA will remove the pedestrian bridge during the construction and replace it after the drainage ditch has been graded and stabilized.
Activities and use of Meadow Park will not be adversely affected as a result of this project.
Questions and/or comments from the public are invited. Please contact the Town of Elkton, Administration Office, by telephone at (410) 398-0970 [ Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.] or by email at administration@elkton.org.
Lewis George,
Town Administrator