Evening star., 1952-10-11
MARYLAND Plans Well

Marylands contribution to the solution of
traffic congestion in the Washington Metropoli-
tan Area will be major one, judging from the
tentative long-range master highway plan Just
disclosed. Much already has been done to i'm
prove the approaches to Washington but the
work has not kept pace with growing traffic de-
nands. Some of the Improvements have been
haphazardy planned, to meet developing con-
tingencies There has been need for a broad,
long-view highway plan in nearby Maryland,
Just as there has been need for similar planning
in Washington and Virginia. The proposed Is
year program prepared for the Maryland-Na-
tional Capital Park and Planning Commission
will hll long-apparent void.
AS revealed in it's preliminary form, the road
program for Montgomery and Prince Georges
Counties contains no real surprises The high
way pattern, in general, conforms to that sug-
geSted in the National Capital Planning Com
missions master plan for Washington and its
environs. The larger plan resembles a gigantic
wheel, composed of key radial highways leading
from the center of Washington into all Of the
Maryland and Virginia counties adjacent to the
District and connected at the outer rim by
peripheral belt artery. The radal routes are
designed to facilitate the movement of automo-
oiles into and out of Washington and the rim
highway is to serve two purposes bypass
route for traffic wishing to avoid Washington
and connecting link between the city's out
lying suburbs.
The Maryland segment of the overall plan
includes five new radial routes and the long
discussed intercounty belt freeway. The radial
highways under construction or planned, are
the Annapolis Freeway, the Baltimore Washing
ton Parkway, the relocation of Route 20 between
Silver Spring and Burtonsviue the Northern
Parkway from Silver Spring to Gettysburg and
the Washington National Pike (relocated Route
24O) to Frederick. Maryland has nearly COM
pleted its part of the Washington Baltimore
Parkway and the Federal Government is extend
ing the parkway toward the District line, in
accordance with wartime agreement. Com
pletion of this vital additional expressway will
provide urgently needed traffic relief for the
overloaded and dangerous Baltimore Pike
u. S. d. Work on the new road to Frederick
also is well under way It's final connections with
the District still are being studied.
The tntercounty freeway is of special inter-
est to the District as well as to the two nearby
Maryland counties This limited-access road is
to circle around Washington several miles out
side the District line each end of the arc ter
minating at a new bridge over the Potomac
River-one at Alexandria and the other near
Cabin john On the Virginia side the bridges
will connect with U. S. and the Shirley High
way. through CraIHC CQuS Will De aDle TO curve
around Washington's coneested "core," to its
own relief and that of local traffic.
1t is likely that the Maryland part of the
belt highway will come into being before the
Virginia portion. A modern cross-country road
is badly needed in nearby Maryland, whether
the Potomac bridges are built or not Virginias
share of the belt project, the other hand, will
be tied in directly to the proposed Alexandria
and Cabin John bridges-which still are far in
the future. Fortunately, the planning for all of
these highway improvements is being done
Jointly by the Jurisdictions concerned, so that
each section will fit into the comprehensive pat
tern. The new Regional Planning Council will
have to assume major responsibility for keep
ing the program in line in the interest of an
orderly development of the National Capital.