Sandbank Road in New Point is a prime example of the common understanding that all roads in Mathews lead to the Chesapeake Bay. Only in this case, the idea doesn’t simply denote picturesque vistas; it’s quite literal.

Sandbank Road (Route 602) goes right down to the water’s edge and ends in the sand. Not only that, but, just like much of Mathews County’s shoreline, the road is eroding, and chunks of asphalt from its degradation now litter the once pristine beach and dune system.

Because there’s no barrier preventing the sand from being washed up on the road, it piles up at Sandbank Road’s intersection with a private lane that serves eight houses and several vacant lots along the Chesapeake Bay shoreline. Not only that, but, while a northeastern storm or a hurricane has historically caused the intersection to flood, now all it takes is a good rain to trap residents down that lane in their homes for several days.

The private lane sits on a stre...