Berlin intersection causes fear for residents, locals sounding the alarm

BERLIN, Md. – Almost every day, Berlin resident, Pamela Stansell, wonders: ‘Will today be the day that something finally changes on Gum Point Road?’

The 1.5-mile-long road is notorious for speedsters, posing a threat to pets and pedestrians who live near it.

“Everybody is always in a hurry, as you know. The school bus comes, they’re in a hurry. They have a schedule, they have to go fast. Parents have to get their children to school, so they go fast,” Stansell said.

But Stansell isn’t the only one who feels the road is unsafe. Dennis parker has been sounding the alarm to officials for five years. County commissioners, the State Highway Authority, you name it, Parker has contacted them. But every time he brings the issue to an official’s attention, he said he’s given the run around.

“I feel that somebody’s just saying, ‘Hey we can do this, we can do that, without coming and looking at what the problem is, or looking at the situation with the road,” Parker said. “These people are working from their offices and they’re not coming here and they’re not seeing what the problem is.”

Because it’s a county road, Worcester County would be responsible for coming up with solutions to the speeding problems.
State Senator, Mary Beth Carozza, told WMDT that she has requested a review from the State Highway Administration, and said future improvements may include “Keeping a better watch and routine schedule on cutting back the growth of the phragmites at this intersection.”

But Parker is also concerned about Maryland Route 589.

With no deceleration lane on MD-589, turning on to Gum Point Road, Parker said it’s nearly impossible to make a safe turn, with cars whipping by at highway speeds.

But state highway officials told WMDT the intersection saw two crashes there from 2021-2023. Both rear-end collisions, only causing property damage. Parker is not satisfied with that explanation.

“They’re kicking the can down the road and I’m getting tired of,” Parker said. “We’re getting taxed, on top of taxed, on top of taxed, but I don’t see the tax dollars getting spent on the neighborhoods.”

So now, Parker and Stansell are asking for the community’s input in finding a solution.

“We would like lighted speed signs; you see them everywhere and they tell you how fast you’re going, or how fast you should be going. Why couldn’t we have those?” Stansell said.