Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1944-02-17
Postwar Projects
To Afford Millions
of Hours OF Work
Gov. O'COnOr Says Road
Construction Will Boost
Employment By 58,97O,OOO
Work Hours


Postwar construction projects
for which immediate preparation of
plans was recommended by the
Committee on Public Activities OF
the Maryland Commission on Post
War Reconstruction and Develop
ment, will provide an estimated
58,970,000 work hours, tremen-
dous contribution toward the solu-
ton of the employment problem of
the postwar era, Governor Herbert
R. O'Conor made known today.
This new pledge" of broad-scale
employment for the States work
ers is in addition to the man hours
to be provided by the more than
$10,000,000 of public construction
projects previously approved by the
Postwar Commission and for
which architects already have been
assigned.
The projects approved by the
committee and included in the
recommendations for immediate
planning are the Baltimore harbor
bridge and the approach high
ways, together with the Hale
thorpe grade elimination, as recon-
mended by the State Roads Com
mission. The recommendations for
immediate initiation of the prelimi-
nary planning were approved I'M
animously by the Commission on
Postwar Reconstruction and De-
velopment.
Estimates on the harbor bridge,
the Governor declared, are that 1T
will produce 100000 on-site work
hours and 18,250,OOO off-site work
hours. The Franklin street ap-
proach is expected to afford 4,800,-
600 on-site work hours and 11,60O,-
600 off-site work hours. The ap-
proach free-way from the bridge t.
West Elkridge, the Governor said,
is expected to afford the same
amount as the Franklin street ap-
proach, while the Halethorpe grade
elimination will, it is anticipated,
provide 10000 on-site work hours
and 100000 off-sita work hours.
Estimated costs of the various
projects, as prepared by the State
Roads Commission, place the Balti-
more Washington connection to the
bridge at $S,OOO,OOO; the harbor
bridge itself at $12,5OO,OOO; the
Baltimore Washington free way
connection to Franklin street at
$8,000,00O and the Halethorpe
grade crossing elimination at $780,
600. The cost of the Baltimore
Washington connection will include
construction of this free-way high
way to point on the present
Baltimore Washington boulevard
near West Elkridge, the Governor
revealed.
Likewise, the Governor made
known, the State Roads Commits
sion estimates that the $4,000, 900
tentatively set for the free-way to
connect with Franklin street will
provide extension of that project
to the Jessups road near Fort
Meade, from which location, it is
understood, the Federal Public
Roads Administration is planning
to continue the free-way into Wash
ington with Federal funds.
This section of the project, Gov
ernor O'Conor pointed out, will
provide a convenient and direct
connection for traffic originating
in Baltimore City with the Wash
ington free-way or the Richmond
highway, and will further serve
traffic using these routes that de-
sires to enter Baltimore City and
not cross the harbor bridge.
E. Brooke Lee, Park Commits
sioner, Maryland National Capital
Park and Planning Commission, is
chairman of the Committee On
Public Activities.