Evening star., 1940-08-27
Highway Needs
For Defense Fiji
Parkway Plans
MoyIand-D. c. Units
Have Similar Outline
To Rouds Bureau

ulSClOSeu SUNDAY nlgnJ IN AnnapOllS
by Gov. O'Conor, fit neatly into
plans for streamlining traffic arteries
and constructing regional parkways
which have reposed in files of re-
gional planning agencies for several
years
The Bureau of Public Roads,
alarmed at the congeSted and in
adequate highways between WASH
ington, Baltimore and Annapolis
and westward, estimates that be-
tween $5O,OOO,OOO and S75,OOOOOO
worth of highway construction is
needed to put the B-W-A area. as
1t is called. in shape for national
defense purposes.
1t was learned today that the pro-
posals of the Public Roads Bureau
are practically the same as those
made some years ago by a joint
committee composed of representa-
tiveS of the Maryland State Plan
ming Commission, National Capital
Park and Planning Commission,
Maryland State Roads Commission,
Maryland State Department of
Forestry, National Resources Com
mittee, Washington Suburban Sani-
tary Commission, Maryland National
Capital Park and Planning Commis-
sion and Bureau of plans and Sur.
vey, Baltimore; District Highway
Department and Office Of National
Capital Parks.
Two Major Parkways.
This joint committee on the B.
WA area in 1886 recommended
construction of two major parkways
from Washington to Baltimore and
from Washington to Annapolis, a
coastal parkway from Annapolis to
Solomon's Island, freeway from
Baltimore to Morgantown to bypass
Washington on the east and a free
way from Ellicott City to Chain
Bridge via Silver Spring to bypass
Washington on the west.
In addition studies have been
made for through-traffic roads west
from the B.-W.-A. area both up the
Potomac and through Pennsylvania
to Harrisburg via Gettysburg.
If these recommendations are
adopted a regional highway ana
parkway plan which would ordi-
narily take years for realization
may be hastened to completion.
What the Plan Will Mean.
If the United States Government
goes ahead with the plan for high
way improvement for national de-
tense it will mean:
1. That the Anacostia Parkway.
which is now being extended into
Maryland by the Maryland Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission with an initial $500 900
for right of way purchase. will be
extended to Baltimore via Fort
George G. Meade. 1t was learned
today that this parkway and that
mentioned by Gov. O'Conor are
Identical. 1t would be a four-lane,
double-strip affair with Handicapped
borders and few intersecting roads.
2. That the George Washington
Memorial Parkway, which is to ex-
tend from Mount Vernon to Great
Falls on both sides of the Potomac
River, may be completed long before
schedule. Present plans for a west.
ward superhighway from Washing
ton do not contemplate relocation
or enlargement of the present WASH
ngton-Frederick- Gettysburg road.
but an extension of the George
Washington Parkway up the
Potomac River beyond Great Falls.
From a bridge about three miles
above Great Falls, the extension
would follow the Virginia shore of
the Potomac to the vicinity of Goose
Greek. There the highway would
split, one branch recrossing the
river to go by way of Frederick and
Gettysburg to Harrisburg and the
other to connect with a north
ward extension of the Blue Ridge
Parkway and Skyline Drive in the
vicinity of Harpers Ferry and other
westbound roads.
8. A new bridge over the Ana
costa River near Kenilworth, by
which the present Anacostia park
way, which terminates in the vicin-
ity of Pennsylvania avenue Sc,
would extend into Maryland.
Ahead Of Schedule.
4. Construction ahead of schedule
of the proposed South Capitol street
bridge over the Anacostia River to
connect the Western and Southern
Maryland sections of the George
Washington Memorial Parkway.
5. Construction of a new Balti-
more Frederick highway which
would branch to reach Hagers-
town and the West and Gettys-
burg and the West, respectively.
6. Possible construction of the two
great east and west bypasses of
Washington. These would, accord
ing to present plans. bypass Balti-
more as well. They would connect
with the Governor Nice highway
and new Susquehanna Bridge and
a reconstructed Route No. l to
Philadelphia, respectively.
7. Construction of a number Of
other regional roads of secondary
and tertiary Importance.
If the national defense program
calls for the construction of any
or all of these highway improve
ments the entire B.-W.-A. plan
will be given a tremendous boost.
Highway development is only one of
the features of the plan. 1t also
includes streamlining of farming
areas, control of suburban growth,
development of forest and park
areas and, in fact, improvement
through planning virtually all fea-
lures of the triangle bounded by
the three cities.