Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-10-05
HighwayP|an
For Maryland
Nears Windup
Long-Runge Projects
To Aid Montgomery
And Prince GEORGES

To Aid Montgomery
And Prince Georges
A long-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 att
laying down 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 tol
the State Roads Commission, Bu-I
reau of Public Roads, Nationall
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 isl
a system of highspeed highways
major interesting roads. These
freewayS-with a minimum fourI
lanes of traftic-appear in the pat
tern as the Spokes of wheel. Hub
of the wheel is the downtown bust
ness section of the District.
Included among these proposed
arterial routes leading out of the
District proceeding clockwiSe from
the Potomac River are:
/. Washington National pike or
as it is better known, relocated
Route 240 from Washington to
FTeQerlck, Mo.
2. Northern Parkway from Sill
yer Spring to Gettysburg, Pa.
8. Relocated Route 90 between
Silver Spring and Burtonsville, Md.
4. Baltimore Washington Park
way.
5. 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
ptetely around the Nations CAPT.
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 1t 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 Commission 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 &C
cess highways and to facilitate
local traffic movement, the COM
mission also will propose extern
sion, widening and relocating of |
more than a 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 3O1 Grain /
highway north of Upper MARI
boro in Prince Georges County. |
When the plan is released, the
commission also will submit a 10
year priority schedule of recon-
mended construction.