Evening star., 1952-10-05
Highway Plan
For Maryland
Nears Windup
Long-Ronge Project!
To Aid Montgomery
And Prince Georges

10 AID montgomery
And Prince Georges
A 1ong-range master highway
plan being prepared by the Mary
land National Capital Park and
Planning Commission for the en-
tire suburban Maryland area has
moved into its final stages.
The comprehensive plan aims al
laying down a pattern Of highways
for construction and improvement
for the next Is years in Mont
gomery and Prince Georges
Counties.
Preliminary copies Of the plan
already have been distributed to
the State Roads Commission. Bu-
reau of Public Roads, National
Capital Planning Commission and
officials in both Montgomery and
Prince Georges Counties.
When their recommendations
have been received, the suburban
Maryland planners will put the
finishing touches on the plan.
Public Hearing Planned.
The planners hope to have the
final proposals ready for publica-
ton by the middle Of next month.
A public hearing on the proposals
will be held before the highway
plan is adopted by the commission
Backbone Of the master plan is
q system Of highspeed highways
with accesses to them limited to
major interesting roads. These
freeways-with q minimum fouI
lanes Of traffic-appear in the pat
tern as the spokes Of q wheel. Huh
|of the wheel is the downtown busi.
mess section Of the District.
Included among these proposed
|arterial routes leading out Of the
District proceeding clockwise from
the Potomac River are:
l. Washington National pike OF
as 1t Is better known, relocated
Route 240 from Washington tc
Frederick. Md.
2. Northern Parkway from Sill
YER Spring to Gettysburg. Pa.
3. Relocated Route 20 between
Silver Spring and Burtonsville, Md
4. Baltimore Washington Park.
way.
S. Annapolis Freeway.
Freeway Is Major Goal.
A major goal in the master plan
is the construction Of the Inter-
County Belt Freeway. The free
way would extend from a pro-
posed new bridge across the Po-
tomac at Cabin John. Md. COM
Ipletely around the Nations capi-
tai to another proposed bridge in
the vicinity of Alexandria, Va.
It would cross the Annapolis Free
way at point near Ardmore, Md.
The Inter-County Belt Freeway
would connect the arterial routes
leading out Of the capital at dis
tances varying from two to five
miles from the District line.
The commission visualizes the
freeway as eventually connecting
with Shirley Highway in Virginia
and completely bypassing the Dis
trict. Not only would it provide
fast croSs-county travel in Mary
land but it would also permit
through traffic to bypass the Dis
trict and congested commercial
centers in nearby Maryland.
The freeway already is on the
State Roads Commissions 15-year
construction schedule. At present
the only road that comes close to
linking the two counties is Route
40. a hodgpodge Of narrow,
crooked, heavily Travelled streets
from Bethesda to Hyattsville.
Supplemental Projects.
To supplement these limited ac-
cess highways and to facilitate
local traffic movement, the COM
mission also will propose extern
sion. widening and relocating of
more than q score of congested
thoroughfares.
Among these projects are:
/. Widening Connecticut ave-
nue. from Chevy Chase Lake
through Kensington and extend
ing it across Viers Mill road to
Georgia avenue about three miles
north of Glenmont.
2. Extending Sixteenth street
from East-West highway across
Georgia avenue to the proposed
Northern Parkway in Sligo Greek
valley.
3. Relocating Philadelphia ave-
nue. and Ager road to hook up
with Riverdale road in the vicinity
Of Edmonston road.
4. Extending Montrose. Ran
|dolph and Glenmont- ColeSville
road from Falls road southwest
of Rockville to Route 301 (Crain
highway north Of Upper Marl-
boro in Prince Georges County.
When the plan is released. the
commission also will submit a 10
year priority schedule Of recon-
mended construction.