I was in Oakland yesterday and noticed that MD 219, the stub built for a potential Oakland bypass, is now signed at its intersection with US 219 and MD 135, but only from the US 219 northbound direction. I didn't have time to check to see if it was signed on its north end, but from Google Maps Street View, it does not appear to be.
It appears the MD 219 signs went up at the same time as signs banning trucks over 40 feet. I really don't understand the rationale for actually signing this route because it doesn't connect to anything and just serves to confuse drivers.
Very weird.
I have posted in the past about the absence of the Oakland Bypass and my belief that its continued absence is a serious chokepoint on a significant north-south route in Garrett County. I doubt this new sign is any indication of the revival of the Bypass and is merely a bookkeeping measure.
The route has been on the books as MD 219 all along, it's just not been signed before.
While I would like to see the Oakland bypass completed, I don't think it's that big of an issue as there's not a lot of through traffic on the US 219 corridor. Most of the traffic in Oakland is going to/from Oakland.
I'd rather see the money that would go to an Oakland bypass be used for access management and widening of US 219 around Deep Creek Lake, where traffic is north of 10,000 VPD. Upgrading MD 42 between Friendsville and US 219 would also be a higher priority for me. Even upgrading Sand Flat Road, which functions as sort of an outer bypass for Oakland, would probably be more useful.