Evening star., 1953-02-20
MckeIdin Talks
ToCheW.Chase
Road Critics
Governor Pledges
Close Consideration
Of Disputed Route
BY o s.aff Correspondent Of me s.o,

ANNAPOLIS, feD. ZO.-T0o
State Roads Commission is stick.
ing by its proposal for q modern
high-speed parkway through the
Chevy Chase area. :
Gov. McKeldin, however, after
a conference here yesterday with
of the area, highway
officials, Representative Hyde,
Republican, of Maryland and
State Senator Anders r. Loe-
strand, jr.. promised to give the
plan thorough consideration"
Its more than can digest In
one late afternoon conference"
he said.
Yesterdays conference brought
renewed charges that the Roads
Commission was participating
with District highway officials In
a plot to force the opening Of
Rock Creek Park as a main
artery into downtown Washing.
ton.
More Details Revealed.
The Roads Commission yester.
day revealed: *
/. The proposed route - the
southeast leg Of Route 240-doeS
not call for the highway to cross
Jones Bridge road and Con.
necticut avenue via overpaSSeS.
On the contrary, it will go under
both roads.
2. Only one house lies in the
path Of the right-of-way.
3. The proposed route will cost
the commission nearly $l.9 mil
lion less than the original route
farther north.
Leading the opposition to the
proposed alternate B" plan
were former Senator Gerald p.
Nye. Frederick Stopleman and
w. S. Farr, both of the Chevy
Chase Land Co.; j. B. Hartsant.
jr.. and Representative Hyde.
After the conference Mr.. Hyde
said he did not think the Roads
Commission proposal was the
best thing that can be done
for the community" He said IL
would be disastrous" to prop
erty owners"
Senator Nye and Mr.. Hyde
both said they feared political
repercussions in the staunch Re-
publican area if the Roads Com
mission goes through with itS
plan. -
Senator Nye also promised q
battle in the District to block
construction of a giant high.
way" through, Rock Creek Park.
81. Proposals Defended.
Wilson T. Ballard and Joseph
H. Knoerle. engineer consultants
who came up with the route
plan, stoutly defended their pro-
poSalS.
Mr.. Knoerle, said the route
was nearly 6 mile shorter than
the northern alternate, a plan
that would have followed Rock
Creek. He added the gasoline
saving to motorists would justify
spending So million more for
purchase Of the right Of way.
"The fact is however," he said,
I'VE can purchase the alter.
nate B right Of way for about
$4,000 less than the northern
right Of way"
The cost Of the roads con-
struction would be about $2.S
million.
Mr.. Ballard said that if these
roads are not built now in the
urban areas, "the area will be-
come landlocked. and eventual
Stagnation and decadence Of
property values will set in" His
opponents disagreed. &
The two conSultants freely ad.
mitted that a major road eventu.
ally will 60 down the west side
Of Rock Creek Park. They de.
MED. however, the Roads Com
mission was attempting to force
such construction.
The proposed road would have
a right-of-way Of $50 to 400
feet wide. It would carry two
24-foot lanes separated by Q
32-to-50-wide park strips. If the
road is eventually widened to six
lanes, Norman Pritchett. chief
State roads location engineer.
said the new lanes would b
built off the center strip. .,a
The road section under pro.
test would extend from Wiscon-
sin avenue and Grosvenor lane
southeasterly under Jones Bridge
road, Connecticut avenue and
across the B. & o. Railroad
tracks and Jones Mill road via
an overpass. It would meet East.
West highway near Beach drive.