Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-04
Maryland Buys
Stand Tracts
For Road Belt
100000 Purchases
Start Negotiations
For Disputed Route
By George Beverage

By George Beyeridge
The Maryland Roads Commits
sion has bought five scattered
tracts Of land, costing about
$500, 900, to start land acquisi-
ton In the path Of nearby Mary.
lands inter-county belt road. Of
dcials said yesterday.
Officials disclosed the first land
buys in discussing progress on
the 33-mile, $1-million- mile
divided highway that will en-
circle Washington through
Montgomery and Prince Georges
Counties.
The road, subject Of a contro-
versy at a point where it would
pass through Rock Creek Park
east Of Wisconsin avenue, is one
Of the main projects in the
States 12-year road program.
Isolated Tracts.
Ofdcials stressed that the big
land-buying job won't get under
way until detailed right-of-way
and construction plans are fin
ished next summer. Isolated
tracts are being bought now only
where necessity requires it. The
main reason for moving in
quickly they said, is at spots
where private development
threatens to run prices up.
For the most part, the officials
said, they don't have sufficient
data to make extensive buys yet.
The trouble spot" tracts bought
90 far. they said. include:
A tract east of Kensington
parkway and south Of Rock
Greek Park where private devel-
opment was under way by the
Gruver-C Cooley Construction Co.;
at the west side Of Georgia ave.
nue. near Forest Glen: several
properties west Of Colesville road
between the Argyle and Indian
Spring Golf Courses; at the east
side Of New Hampshire avenue
opposite the Xaverian College
property, and on the north side
Of Palmer highway near its in
tersection with Ardmore road.
All tracts except the last are in
Montgomery County.
Detailed location and con-
struction plans for a 23-mile
eastern portion of the road from
Forest Glen to the Indianhead
road opposite Jones Point, Alex
andria, are being made by the
engineering consulting firm of
Michael Baker, jr.. Inc.
Plans For Expenditures.
Specifically, plans call in the
second four-year period for S.
IT'S, 900 to be spent for 81 miles
in Montgomery and ST. million
In construction money for 8
miles in Prince Georges. During
the last four years, $5.7 million
will be spent for the remainder
Of the road in Montgomery and
SLID million for the last 1875
miles in Prince Georges.
AS an exception to this plan,
however, commission officials
said they intend to complete
construction during the first
four years Of a portion between
Wisconsin and Georgia avenues.
The reason for this early con-
struction, they said, is to permit
traffic to feed into the belt from
U. s. Route $40, now under con-
struction from the northwest.
The belt would tie into Route
$40 leg west Of Wisconsin avenue
and remain in the park to Forest
Glen except for one dip south
ward between Connecticut ave-
nue. and Kensington parkway.
At this point outside the park,
the Roads Commission wants to
build a separate Southbound
road through North Chevy Chase
to the East-West highway. It's
function would be to pick up
Route $40 traffic which would
use the belt road through about
q mile Of the park.
A Federal court hearing.
meanwhile. is set for July Is on
q suit by property owners who
contest use of the park for the
road. The suit challenges the
National Capital Planning Com
missions approval Of the park
use for the belt road.
The Federal planners added
new complication to the road
plans last month. however.
While they approved detailed
plans for the belt route. they
conditioned approval on an un-
Outstanding that the Roads
Commission would not build the
Route $40 link 1t plans between
the belt route and East-West
highway.
Road ofiicials contend the
planners have nothing to say
about such q connection. since
It would be outside park lands.
But no moves are yet under way