This EDA investment supports somerset county with the restoration and resurfacing of smith island county roads in the chesapeake BAY, to improve tourism to the island

The U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) awarded $1.25 million to Somerset County, Maryland under the Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) program on April 28, 2022. The funding will support road restoration and resurfacing projects on Smith Island County roads to improve tourism to the island and address economic harm from the COVID-19 pandemic in the travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation industry. Specifically, the award will reconstruct major tourist roads leading to significant tourism sites on Smith Island. The island has experienced significant erosion from rising water levels and declining revenues exacerbated by the pandemic. Completing the road projects aims to assist the region's recovery and increase economic resiliency by making the area more accessible to tourists, thereby helping to increase employment opportunities, save jobs, and spur private investment throughout the region.

The project will reconstruct major tourist roads leading to significant tourism sites in the island to help address the economic harm to the travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation industry due to the coronavirus pandemic. Smith island has experienced significant erosion as a result of rising water levels and declining revenues exaggerated by the pandemic. Once completed, the project will assist in the region's recovery and make IT more resilient to fluctuations in tourism, which will help increase employment opportunities, save jobs, spur private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region.