MARDELA SPRINGS, Md. - Just east of Mardela Springs, "No Tresspassing" and "Road Closed" signs have stood guard at either end of Barren Creek Road since a flash flood washed out part of the road in the summer of 2016.
The road closure has hit local businesses' bottom lines. David Kenney is a co-owner of The Hardware Store on Route 50 near Barren Creek Road, and he wants to see the road repaired.
"[Our customers] have to go around three or four miles to get here, so they're not going to come as often," Kenney said. "They have to plan their trips or they might go somewhere else, so it has affected us."
At its August 20 meeting, the Wicomico County Council removed Barren Creek Road studies and repairs from a "Transportation Priorities Letter." That letter outlines various transportation projects for which the county is seeking state funding.
That was welcome news for Jim Adkins, who has had a ringside seat to the Barren Creek saga.
"If it ever is reopened, I envision at the intersection of Barren Creek Road and Route 50 that we're going to start seeing a lot more accidents up there, like we see at Old Railroad and other crossovers in this county," Adkins said.
But Kenney said that reopening the road will enhance safety.
"The fire company, the fire personnel, would like to see it open if there's an accident at the traffic light or Old Railroad Road, that's another access way to get to the school or over in that area," Kenney said.
Adkins said though that funding has always been available to fix the road, and if it needed to be fixed for whatever reason, it would have been done by now.
"I didn't see where it was a priority anymore," Adkins said. "That there wasn't any need to spend the money on this road when there are so many other roads in the county which need attention."
