Evening star., 1953-01-22
Maryland Plans
81 Million Job
Al Peace Cross
$10.2 Million Slated
For Annapolis Rood
In 4-Yeur Plans
BY Alex R. Preston

The Maryland Roads Commits
sion plans to spend So million
for Peace Cross flood control and
$10.2 million to complete the
Washington Annapolis express
way within the first four, years
Of it's proposed 12-year construc-
ton program.
These are only two Of more
than $41.4 million worth Of prof.
ectS the commission proposes to
spend in Prince Georges County
in the first four years. For the
entire 12-year period. that coun-
ty would get $82.8 million worth
Of road and bridge work - the
largest allotment to any county
in the State.
Assembly Gets Plan.
A massive 152-page report on
the Roads Commissions propos-
ais was handed to the Maryland
General Assembly yesterday. The
commission is seeking legislation
to raise the gasoline tax by !
cent a gallon to six cents and to
increase registration fees to help
finance the program.
The Peace Cross expenditure
would represent the States share
of the flood control project
which Army engineers say would
cost $13.S million if completely
carried out. The So million would
be spent partly to construct three
bridges to elevate the roadways,
authorized by the General AS
Sembly in 1949.
In the overall program pro-
posed by the Army District en-
gineers. the Federal Govern
ment, subject to approval by
Congress, will advance $7,553,-
600 as its share of relieving
floods in the Anacostia River
and it's Northwest Branch. The
remainder of the 1892 million
would be made up by contribu-
tions of money, work or rights
Of way from the Maryland Ma
tional Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission. the Washing
ton Suburban Sanitary Commits
sion and the Prince Georges
County commissioners.
Governor Pledges Project.
Only last week, Gov. McKeldin
told Senator Butler and Repre-
sentative Small, Republicans. OF
Maryland and a delegation Of
State legislators from Prince
Georges County. that work to
relieve flooding of Baltimore
boulevard and Defense highway
at Peace Cross would be ac-
complished, probably by the end
of this year.
This work, which involves
raising the highways and in
stalling culverts to permit flood
waters to run off, is regarded
by the Roads Commission merely
as a temporary expedient.
Even the So million project
planned by the roads commits
sion would provide relief only for
vehicular traffic and not for resi-
dents Of low-lying homes in the
area, according to an Army Dis
trict Engineers spokesman.
Construction of the Washing
ton-Annapolis Expressway from
Route 301 Grain highway to
the SDistrict-a distance of IL
miles-would complete an i'm
portant link from this area to
the new Chesapeake Bay Bridge.
A bypass around Annapolis now
is being completed and will tie
into the expressway at Parole so
that motorists from Washington
will not have to pass through the
State Capital.
At its western end, the ex-
pressway will merge with the
Baltimore Washington express
way and come into Washington
by way Of New York avenue NE.
Belt Highway Slated.
Another major project pro-
grammed for Prince Georges
County is the belt highway
which would take IL years to
complete. This overall project
for Montgomery and Prince
Georges Counties would cost $33
million for IS miles. For the
Prince Georges County portion,
consisting of 21.5 miles, the COM
mission would spend $2.5 mil
lions in the, first four years for
right-of-way and engineering.
In the second four-year period
ST. millions would be spent to