Harford County officials on the second day of budget work sessions outlined the Department of Public Works’ (DPW) highways operating budget and related capital projects, including a request for $6 million in FY26 to relocate utilities ahead of the Woodley Road extension intended to create a second access to the Perryman Peninsula.

The highways division budget presented for FY26 totals $38,430,538 — all funded from the county’s highways fund — with highway maintenance accounting for $32,062,068. DPW said the capital program will continue funding bridge and roadway replacements and other long‑running projects while the operating request supports daily maintenance and emergency response work.

Why it matters: the Woodley Road extension and several federally funded bridge replacements are intended to address safety and resilience on Peninsula routes and elsewhere in the county. At the same time, DPW highlighted growing maintenance costs for street signs, tree removal and energy, and said state and federal revenue trends are complicating local highway finance.

DPW director Joe Ciemack noted progress on the Perryman second‑egress project, saying federal partners had committed to completing property and appraisal work before the end of the federal fiscal year so the county can assemble permits and go to bid. He told the council that, if milestones hold, the project team intends to be in construction in calendar year 2026.

Deputy Director Steve Walsh laid out the division’s operating numbers and day‑to‑day responsibilities: the county maintains almost 1,100 miles of roadway, about 225 bridges and more than 31,000 traffic signs. He said the highways fund is primarily supported by property tax on areas outside the county’s three municipalities and by state highway user revenues (gas tax and vehicle registration receipts), which have not kept pace with rising construction and maintenance costs.

DPW staff offered several notable line items and changes:
- Woodley Road: $6,000,000 requested in FY26 for utility relocations tied to the Woodley Road extension project that will connect the county road network to Maryland Route 715 and provide an alternate access to the Perryman Peninsula.
- Highways division operating total: $38,430,538 (all highways fund).
- Bureau of Highways Maintenance: $32,062,068 (increase of $1,671,861). Major contractual increases include $528,000 for expanded tree‑trimming and emergency storm crews and $260,000 for electricity, according to briefs presented.
- Snow removal: $2,917,922 (a modest decrease from the prior year based on recent winter experience).
- Vehicle‑height monitoring: a placeholder of $250,000 appears in the capital program for vehicle height monitoring options on routes with oversized truck incursions; staff said that a deployment is unlikely in the upcoming fiscal year but that the county is continuing to study cost‑effective alternatives.

Tree removals and right‑of‑way vegetation were a recurring theme during council questions. DPW explained the $528,000 contractual increase will support additional dead‑tree removal, daily trimming operations and dedicated emergency storm crews; members said the extra funding responds to an uptick in wind events and to insect‑driven tree decline such as emerald ash borer damage.

Council members and DPW also discussed sidewalks, newly installed subdivisions and homeowners’ associations (HOAs). DPW said sidewalk repairs remain the homeowner’s responsibility under county code but that the county will inspect reported dangerous conditions, notify property owners, and, when legally appropriate, perform repairs and place a lien for remediation costs. Staff said the county uses this authority sparingly and generally works with property owners first.

On state coordination, DPW staff described a recently expanded liaison effort with the State Highway Administration (SHA). The county now budgets for staff who meet quarterly with SHA maintenance and engineering staff and for senior‑level contractual advice intended to speed state coordination on local projects.

What’s next: DPW asked the council to approve the proposed operating and capital packages so work can continue on bridge replacements, right‑of‑way acquisitions and the Woodley Road utility relocations. Staff reiterated that federal partners (the U.S. Army and the Army Corps of Engineers at Aberdeen Proving Ground) have committed to completing necessary property work before the end of the federal fiscal year, a milestone the county said is required to move the Woodley Road project to design and construction.

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