Salisbury, MD- The Maryland Department of Transportation, State Highway Administration has announced the Route 50 bridge into Ocean City will be closed starting April 15 for five nights from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. to make repairs. This makes it impossible for Shore Transit to run some routes into Ocean City. “Ocean City Transit and Shore Transit have modified service to support our customers’ needs during this short notice Route 50 bridge closure,” states Shore Transit Director, Brad Bellacicco.
The bridge should be reopened in time for the morning trips by Shore Transit to the Ocean City Inlet transfer station to not be impacted. But two routes which normally go from West Ocean City to the Ocean City Inlet Transfer Station this time of the year, will not be able to cross the bridge.
In order to help customers that use the two nighttime trips to get to work or return home, Shore Transit will modify their last two trips to go to the Ocean Pines Plaza bus stop. This stop is usually not served on the late route.
Shore Transit Route 432 comes from Salisbury, serving OC, then heads towards Pocomoke. On the last trip, we will deviate that route to Ocean Pines Plaza AFTER having served the West OC Park and Ride (in order to give OC workers additional time to get off from work and get across the bridge to Ocean Pines Plaza). The bus should be at Ocean Pines Plaza at approximately 10:47pm.
Shore Transit Route 452 comes from Pocomoke, serves the West OC Park & Ride then heads to Salisbury. That bus route will be at Ocean Pines Plaza at approximately 11:21pm.
Riders from Ocean City should take the Ocean City Transit bus from the 65th Street Shelter to meet the Shore Transit bus in Ocean Pines. Those getting off the Shore Transit buses in Ocean Pines will ride the Ocean City Bus to the 65th Street Shelter and could transfer to other OCT routes there. The Ocean City Transit bus will depart 65th street at approximately 10:15 pm and 11 pm to be at Ocean Pines at 10:47 pm and 11:21 pm to transfer riders. Riders returning to Ocean City will arrive at the 65th Street Shelter at approximately 11 pm and 11:40 pm.
The bridge should be reopened in time (6 am) to not impact morning trips. This service is planned only for the nights when the Route 50 bridge is closed for repairs.
This special routing is made possible due to the cooperation of the Tri-County Council for the Lower Eastern Shore, the operator of Shore Transit, and the City of Ocean City and its Public Works Department, who operate Ocean City Transit.
Questions can be directed to Shore Transit at 443-260-2300, on our Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Shore-Transit-473060300260/, or to Ocean City Transit at 410-723-1606.
