Officials propose plan to fix Nanticoke Road after washout

WICOMICO COUNTY, Md. – State Highway officials could be one step closer to finding a solution for the Nanticoke Road washout if their plans get approved by the Maryland Department of the Environment.

For now though, it’s still completely closed and will stay closed for the next few months or until officials can figure out how to prevent a washout like this in the future.

Right now officials have proposed a plan to add a second structure to the existing pipe that controls the water flow from Riawalkin Pond, the pond that overflowed causing the wash out.

SHA says adding the plan to add the extra pipe is on the table because raising the roadway was not an option.

Brett Deane, Asst. District Engineer for SHA, says, “The roadway elevation was looked at as if we could raise it, the big issue again is the downstream affects. If we raise the road it’s going to increase the flow of water that comes downstream and we could potentially shift from a low risk dam to a high risk dam.”

Right now, there are no crews currently out there on the roadway but SHA says they are working diligently to come up with the best solution that will ensure not only this portion of the road never flood again, but that any repairs made won’t affect the hundreds of streams and rivers the dam flows into.