Evening star., 1941-11-25
Capital Baltimore
Highway Hinges on
Maryland Finances
Speed Route May Be
Paid for by Bridge Tolls
Up to $4,000, 900

By the ASSOcldt &c Press
BALTIMORE. Nov. 25.-Actual
work on the proposed Baltimore
Washington parkway will get under
way las soon as possible" ," that pos
sibility hinging on digging up SIS
100000 to s30000,000
Chairman Ezra B. Whitman Of
the State Roads Commission esti-
mated today that would be the ap-
proximate cost of the highway
which would replace the winding,
hot-dog paradise that is the present
| route l.
! Mr. Whitman will welcome any
suggestions for raising the needed
| cash. Several plans are under con-
sideration. two of which involve
floating huge bond issues to be re-
| deemed with tolls for use of the
project-which would be the most
expensive single item in the history
| Of Maryland government.
| Mr. Whitman said tolls might be
charged for use of the entire road
as was done in the Merritt parkway
and other suburban New York road
ways: or for use of a bridge which
might be built across Baltimore
Harbor as vital part of the park
way.
Bridge Over Harbor.
The roads chairman said the main
planning problem at present was to
decide upon routes in and out Of
Baltimore and Washington. The
proposed harbor bridge would pro-
vide direct, traffic free route for
through motorists from Philadel-
phia road across the southeast cor
ner of Baltimore to the parkway.
Two other access roads would feed
the parkway from centra! Baltimore
and from points west of Baltimore.
All would meet. probably, near the
Baltimore County line.
From there the parkway. limited
to passenger traffic and with few
exits and entrances. would run
mainly through property owned by
the Federal Government - Fort
George G.. Meade. the Agriculture
Department S experiment farm at
oCIlSNlllc dllu 1IcellUtIl.
AnacOStia Land Needed.
The portion of the 400-700-foot
parkway strip which would have to
be acquired from private owners is
mainly in the Anacostia Parkway
section outside Washington. The
parkway, with grass separation
strip in the center, would pass
through natural landscaping. No
commercial development other than
necessary, planned filling stations
would be allowed.
At the Washington end, the park
way would link with the planned
Fort drive, and southbound cars
would skirt the edge of the city to
Dahlgren Bridge over the Potomac.
Surveys of the proposed new road
are being made by the commission,
the Public Works Administration
and the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission. The Fed
eral Government allocated $4,000
and another S160.0O0 was set aside
in the 1941 Maryland budget.
To Improve Present Road.
Meanwhile, the commission Is
continuing work. to improve the
present Washington boulevard
The program includes expert
mental characterization of traffic at
the Peace Cross in Bladensburg
Rows of iron poles have been set
up to carry the different streams
of traffic in separate lines. prevent
ing serious traffic jams which have
occurred there in the past.
Mr.. Whitman said that as soon
as the best channels were deter
mined. permanent curbings would
be constructed out of $1,000 fund
set aside for the purpose.
Use Of the experimental method
of determining the best positions for
the curbs was the first in the State,
he said. adding that its efficiency
had been proved recently in other
sections of the country.