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CAMBRIDGE — The Dorchester County Council heard an update last week on an infrastructure problem in the southern part of the county, Worlds End Turn, as officials acknowledged they remain stuck in a frustrating limbo between state promises and local resources.

County staff outlined the latest developments on the damaged road, which has become a critical issue for residents and emergency responders alike. Worlds End Turn is located on Route 336, or Lakesville Road, as it crosses over the Worlds End Creek.

The potential emergency culvert replacement project at Worlds End Turn necessitates a long detour via Christ Rock Church — or as locals call it, “the marsh road� — turning a quarter-mile crossing into a 27-mile trip for some who live in the area.

The state had responded to a prior county motion — in which council members agreed they would allow an overlay on county property if the state could find the money — with a letter saying they had, in fact, found the funding. But that money would come from road projects already planned for the northern part of Dorchester County.

That revelation landed uneasy with the council.

Council Member Ricky Travers argued the county couldn’t simply sacrifice northern county projects to fix a state road in the south. He pushed for a letter to be sent to state highway officials demanding the two northern county projects be rescheduled and placed as priorities in the following year’s budget, rather than wholly eradicated to pay for Worlds End Turn.

The motion passed, with all saying yes except for Council President Lenny Pfeffer.

“We definitely don’t tell the state how to pave their roads, and they normally don’t tell us how to pave our roads,� Pfeffer said.

Council members noted that certain fire apparatus stationed near the road could be blocked from responding due to newly posted weight restrictions of 67,000 pounds combined vehicle weight. Agricultural traffic, grain trucks, fertilizer haulers, chicken transport, also depends on the corridor, and the road has become a stubborn bottleneck with no clean turnaround for heavy vehicles.

County officials said they were still exploring emergency bypass options, but stressed that any alternative route would need to be confirmed safe before it could be offered as a detour. Pfeffer noted that staff, the local legislative delegation and state contacts — including Sen. Johnny Mautz and Dels. Chris Adams and Tom Hutchinson — had all been working the phones. Still, no definitive answer on funding or a timeline had emerged.

“We’re still looking. We’re still hoping and praying that we can find a solution,� Pfeffer said. “This is not done.�

A south Dorchester resident came forward during the open comment period to point out that a state highway document he reviewed showed the road measured 30 feet in width, offering what he believed was enough room, roughly 20 feet, to set up jersey barriers and maintain a 10-foot traffic lane, potentially allowing work to proceed without a full closure. Officials thanked him for the information and indicated staff would follow up.

“We have to get that road fixed,� Council Member Mike Detmer said. “We just have to.�

This story has been updated.