Maryland Route 90

This article is about the current Maryland Route 90. For the former highway, see Maryland Route 90 (former).

Maryland Route 90
Ocean City Expressway
Maryland Route 90 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MDSHA
Length:	11.83 mi[1] (19.04 km)
Major junctions
West end:	US 50 near Whaleyville
	US 113 in Friendship MD 589 in Ocean Pines
East end:	MD 528 in Ocean City
Location
Counties:	Worcester
Highway system
Maryland highway system Interstate • US • State • Minor • Former • Turnpikes ← MD 89 MD 91 →

Maryland Route 90 (MD 90) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as the Ocean City Expressway, the state highway runs 11.83 miles (19.04 km) from U.S. Route 50 (US 50) near Whaleyville to MD 528 in Ocean City. MD 90 is a two-lane expressway that provides one of the main access routes to Ocean City, especially the northern part of the resort, and thus sees heavy seasonal traffic. Due to its importance as an access point and as an evacuation route, the state highway is a part of the National Highway System.^[2] MD 90 was constructed from Ocean City starting in 1970. The state highway was opened west to MD 589 in 1972 and to US 113 in 1975. MD 90 was completed west to US 50 in 1976.

Route description

MD 90 crossing the Assawoman Bay on the Assawoman Bay Bridge

MD 90 begins at a partial directional interchange with US 50 (Ocean Gateway) east of Whaleyville. There is no access between MD 90 east and US 50 east.^[3] MD 90 heads east as a two-lane undivided freeway with a speed limit of 55 mph (89 km/h) and rumble strips within the painted median. Headlight use is required at all times. After passing under MD 346 (Old Ocean City Boulevard) with no access, the state highway crosses over Church Branch.^[1][3] MD 90 crosses over the Snow Hill Line of the Maryland and Delaware Railroad before reaching a partial cloverleaf interchange with US 113 (Worcester Highway).^[3] After passing over MD 575 (Worcester Highway), the old alignment of US 113, with no access, the state highway becomes divided with a narrow guardrail median barrier. MD 90 encounters a diamond interchange with MD 589 (Racetrack Road) in Ocean Pines and passes over Ocean Parkway within that community. The median barrier ends and the state highway becomes an undivided highway again immediately before crossing the St. Martin River on a long bridge. A median returns right after the bridge ends at Isle of Wight, where MD 90 has an at-grade signalized intersection with St. Martins Neck Road and the entrance to Isle of Wight Nature Park. MD 90 becomes undivided again for the Assawoman Bay Bridge over Assawoman Bay. After that bridge, the speed limit drops to 40 mph (64 km/h) and the state highway expands to four lanes with a Jersey barrier for a short distance before its terminal intersection with MD 528 (Coastal Highway) at 62nd Street in Ocean City.^[1][3]

History

Construction on MD 90 began in 1970 with the construction of the bridges over the St. Martin River and Assawoman Bay, which were completed in 1970 and 1971, respectively.^[4][5][6] The state highway was completed and opened between MD 528 and MD 589 in 1972.^[7] Construction west to US 113 commenced in 1973 and west to US 50 in 1974.^{[8][9][10][11]} MD 90 was extended west to US 113, which at the time followed today's MD 575, in 1975.^[12] The state highway was completed when the highway opened between US 50 and US 113 in 1976.^[13][14] MD 90's present interchange with US 113 was constructed in 1976.^[15] However, the interchange remained unused until US 113 was relocated as a four-lane divided highway from Berlin north past MD 90 in 2000.^[16][17][18] The interchange ramp with MD 575 was closed and removed shortly after the new interchange opened.^[17]

Future

Mayor Rick Meehan of Ocean City is currently pushing for dualization of the MD 90 bridge, stating that it "is the quicker way in and out of town, especially if you look at all the development that has taken place along the Route 50 corridor." He also stated that dualization is good for the route for evacuation purposes.^[19]

Junction list

The entire route is in Worcester County.

Location	Mile [1]	Destinations	Notes
Whaleyville	0.00	US 50 west (Ocean Gateway) – Salisbury, Bay Bridge	Western terminus; eastbound exit and westbound entrance from US 50
Friendship	4.03	US 113 (Worcester Highway) – Berlin, Snow Hill, Dover	Partial cloverleaf interchange
Ocean Pines	6.01	MD 589 (Racetrack Road) – Ocean Pines	Diamond interchange
Bridge over St. Martin River
	9.47	St. Martins Neck Road north – Bishopville	At-grade signalized intersection
Assawoman Bay Bridge over Assawoman Bay
Ocean City	11.83	MD 528 (Coastal Highway) / 62nd Street east	Eastern terminus; at-grade signalized intersection
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} "Highway Location Reference: Worcester County" (PDF). Maryland State Highway Administration. 2009. http://www.marylandroads.com/Location/2009_WORCESTER.pdf. Retrieved 2010-09-20. 
2. ^ Federal Highway Administration (August 2003) (PDF). National Highway System: Maryland (Map). http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/nhs/maps/md/md_Maryland.pdf. Retrieved 2010-04-05. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d} Google, Inc. Google Maps – Maryland Route 90 (Map). Cartography by Google, Inc. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=Ocean+City+Expy&geocode=FUmBSQIdF2CD-w%3BFV61SQIdfJOG-w&hl=en&mra=ls&sll=38.383937,-75.070546&sspn=0.00772,0.01929&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=12. Retrieved 2010-04-09. 
4. ^ Maryland State Roads Commission. Maryland: Official Highway Map (Map) (1970 ed.). 
5. ^ "NBI Structure Number: 100000230020010". National Bridge Inventory. http://nationalbridges.com/nbi_record.php?StateCode=24&struct=100000230020010. Retrieved 2010-09-20. 
6. ^ "NBI Structure Number: 100000230021010". National Bridge Inventory. http://nationalbridges.com/nbi_record.php?StateCode=24&struct=100000230021010. Retrieved 2010-09-20. 
7. ^ Maryland State Highway Administration. Maryland: Official Highway Map (Map) (1972 ed.). 
8. ^ Maryland State Highway Administration. Maryland: Official Highway Map (Map) (1973 ed.). 
9. ^ "NBI Structure Number: 100000230026010". National Bridge Inventory. http://nationalbridges.com/nbi_record.php?StateCode=24&struct=100000230026010. Retrieved 2010-09-20. 
10. ^ Maryland State Highway Administration. Maryland: Official Highway Map (Map) (1974 ed.). 
11. ^ "NBI Structure Number: 100000230028010". National Bridge Inventory. http://nationalbridges.com/nbi_record.php?StateCode=24&struct=100000230028010. Retrieved 2010-09-20. 
12. ^ Maryland State Highway Administration. Maryland: Official Highway Map (Map) (1975-76 ed.). 
13. ^ "NBI Structure Number: 100000230031010". National Bridge Inventory. http://nationalbridges.com/nbi_record.php?StateCode=24&struct=100000230031010. Retrieved 2010-09-20. 
14. ^ Maryland State Highway Administration. Maryland: Official Highway Map (Map) (1977 ed.). 
15. ^ "NBI Structure Number: 100000230032010". National Bridge Inventory. http://nationalbridges.com/nbi_record.php?StateCode=24&struct=100000230032010. Retrieved 2010-09-20. 
16. ^ United States Geological Survey (1989-04-12). 5 km SW of Ocean Pines, Maryland, United States (Map). Aerial Map. http://msrmaps.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=12&Z=18&X=602&Y=5309&W=1&qs=. Retrieved 2010-04-09. 
17. ^ ^{a b} "Highway Location Reference: Worcester County" (PDF). Maryland State Highway Administration. 2000. http://www.marylandroads.com/Location/2000_WORCESTER.pdf. Retrieved 2010-09-20. 
18. ^ Maryland State Highway Administration. Maryland: Official Highway Map (Map) (2002 ed.). 
19. ^ Russo, Bryan (2009-10-30). "Mayor Seeks Route 90 Dualization". The Maryland Coast Dispatch. http://www.mdcoastdispatch.com/article.php?cid=30&id=7367. Retrieved 2010-02-22. 

External links

• MD 90 @ MDRoads.com