October 14th, 2025 by WCBC Radio

The Maryland Department of Transportation may have gotten more than bargained for when they visited Allegany County to discuss projects for the next five fiscal years.  At the table was House Minority Leader Jason Buckel, whose recently passed legislation will hold common carriers liable for damages to infrastructure. Buckel made a point to bring up the damaged bridges that are essential to Cumberland…

   

“Our community has some just blatantly obvious infrastructure needs and problems – that if they existed in Frederick or Rockville or Gaithersburg, Annapolis – they’d be solved, they’d be done, they’d be over.”

Buckel drove home the point of frustrated officials trying to get assistance for repairs…

“Frankly, it’s embarrassing. It’s embarrassing to say that you’re a representative of the state government or you’re involved in Allegany County government, or City of Cumberland government and it’s like we live out in the middle of nowhere that we just have these roads that are destroyed and rendered unusable.”