OCEAN CITY, Md. 鈥� The Town of Ocean City and the Maryland State Highway Administration wrapped up a $7 million project to add fencing along nearly three miles of the median on Coastal Highway.
The fencing stretches north from Convention Center Drive to where Route 90 enters town.
鈥淭his is a pedestrian safety project,鈥� said Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan. 鈥淭his is to direct people to the crosswalks. We have automated crosswalks at all the lights at all the proper intersections and we continue to see problems with people just haphazardly crossing in any location and walking against traffic and creating really a very unsafe condition for not only the pedestrians but the drivers.鈥�
The fencing stands between five and seven feet tall and won鈥檛 stop cars from turning through intersections along the highway.
It is strictly meant to keep people from jaywalking through a stretch of road that features popular bars like Seacrets, Fager鈥檚 Island and other places.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a little bit different, it鈥檚 going to take a little while for people to get used to,鈥� Meehan acknowledged. 鈥淪ome people are going to have to walk an extra block to cross the highway and I know at first it鈥檚 not something that people are going to want to do. But it鈥檚 the right thing to do.鈥�
The fencing is similar to what the state has put up in places like Langley Park and College Park where jaywalking has led to serious and sometimes fatal accidents involving pedestrians.
鈥淎nd it鈥檚 worked,鈥� Meehan said. 鈥淲e think it鈥檒l keep the families safer, it鈥檒l help people when they鈥檙e out there with their kids.鈥�
The median fencing is also going to be illuminated by new, brighter lighting, mean to help drivers spot pedestrians and others along that route.
鈥淲e think it鈥檚 something that鈥檒l benefit the pedestrians, the visitors, and the drivers,鈥� Meehan said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e really subject to people just walking out in front of them, particularly in the night time hours.鈥�
