By Tara Fischer

Staff Writer

(Oct. 1, 2026) The Town of Berlin will not pursue plans to build a pedestrian bridge over Route 113 to unite the two sides of town, but  is aiming to make trip easier through improvements like vehicle speed reduction, shared-use paths, and crosswalk configurations.

Over the past few years, Berlin has been exploring ways to reconnect Berlin, which was physically split in two by the 1950s installation of Route 113. The dual highway limits safe pedestrian access between the east-side neighborhoods and to destinations like the town’s only grocery store, healthcare facilities, parks, and downtown shops and restaurants.

To address these limitations, the municipality has been studying the feasibility of building a pedestrian bridge over the roadway, offering a safe path to Berlin residents cut off from key services.

Possible bridge locations were previously identified at Old Ocean City Boulevard, Bay Street, and Germantown Road. However, project evaluation and resident input revealed that a physical overhead ramp would be impractical.

Project leaders said at a February presentation that the skyway would cost upwards of $15 million. The steep price tag was not the only concern raised at that meeting.

Council Vice President Dean Burrell argued that with only one access point, some residents would have to go out of their way to reach the bridge. He said it was likely that disabled citizens would continue to cross the highway illegally and dangerously to avoid unnecessary travel.

As the bridge project was determined unrealistic, Sara Gorfinkel, Berlin Mayor Zack Tyndall’s executive assistant, and Patti Stevens, founder of the Worcester County Pedestrian and Bike Coalition, presented new solutions this week.

“Throughout community engagement, we heard that if people were trying to get to the future community center or to the hospital or Food Lion, they would have to go out of their way to get to the bridge, and are more likely to cross [Route 113] unsafely,” Gorfinkel said.

“We moved forward with the idea that instead of one bridge, we could make modifications along all 113 intersections.”

A feasibility study identified three outcomes to improve neighborhood connection. The first would be to design separate bicycle and pedestrian accommodation along Route 113. Under this idea, the town would work with the Maryland Department of Transportation and the State Highway Administration to identify and acquire right-of-way and determine the best locations.

The municipality could also work with SHA to reduce travel speed from 45 mph to 35 mph.

Another method to increase connectivity could be implementing pedestrian-activated signals and crosswalks with an ADA landing connecting sidewalks at the three state highway intersections with US 113: Old Ocean City Boulevard, Bay Street/Assateague Road, and Main Street/Germantown Road.

The scaled-down approach also mentions proposals like closing sidewalk gaps and adding trails to give neighborhoods access to key locations like schools, parks, and the library.

Gorfinkel said that during site visits by SHA, the agency has already committed to improving the intersection of 113 at Old Ocean City Boulevard.

While the reconnection project has faced funding constraints, reallocated federal earmarks will pay for the new proposal’s preconstruction and design work.

In August 2025, the Town of Berlin announced that nearly $1 million of federal funding previously awarded for the Connecting Neighborhoods initiative had been rescinded. While Berlin received the initial $250,000, Congress eliminated the remaining $950,000 in a budget reconciliation bill passed in July 2025.

Berlin began working with MDOT to identify alternative funding sources. The department later told the town it had found $643,000 in unspent earmarked federal funds that could be redirected to the Route 113 project.

To meet the required 20% funding match, the municipality asked the Worcester County Commissioners to repurpose money from a separate Rails and Trails project for the Route 113 initiative.

Ultimately, $24,000 from Rails and Trails was reallocated to Berlin’s neighborhood reconnection effort. Combined with $104,000 already on hand, the town was able to secure the match.

While the pedestrian bridge endeavor has officially been reworked, Gorfinkel maintained the original, ambitious plan helped Berlin secure the funding that can now be used for crosswalks, speed reduction efforts, and other grounded solutions.

“I don’t believe we would have gotten this grant if we did not shoot for the moon,” she said.