Medford Road: MD 31 to Western Chapel Road

Location:	Carroll County, Maryland
Clients:	Genstar Stone Products Company
Owner:	Carroll County Department of Public Works

Genstar Stone Products Company owns and operates a quarry west of Westminster. Prior to the mid-1980's, the quarry was located on both sides of Medford Road, and Carroll County's master plan called for relocating Medford Road to the east of the quarry.

Working with Genstar and coordinating closely with Carroll County, we surveyed, designed and provided construction administration and inspection services for the 1.75 mile long relocation, including a new railroad spur and crossing. Of particular concern was the geology of the area, with solution-prone marble underlying the roadway. In order to minimize the possibility of sinkholes affecting the new road, a special compaction program was undertaken. The entire subgrade was proof-rolled to identify potential problems, and in particularly sensitive areas, dynamic compaction was used, dropping an 18.5 ton weight from a height of 70 feet.