Evening star., 1954-01-06
Dual Road Job
For Viers Mill
Is Scheduled
Work Set This Year;
Priority Given Other
Nearby Projects
BY O stoff corre.pendent Of The stu,

Maryland State Roads Commits
sion will begin work this year on
reconstructing treacherous Viers
Mill road in Montgomery County
to make it a dual highway.
That was one of several
projects given priority by the
commission yesterday for con-
struction in this. the first year
Of Maryland's 1858 million, 12-
year highway modernization
program.
Other Projects.
Other big projects scheduled
by the commission for construc-
ton this year include:
/. Extension of the Washing
ton-Annapolis ExpreSsway from
its present termination at Route
301 to George Palmer highway
in Prince Georges County. q
distance of Z miles.
2. Reconstruction of Edmon-
ston road to make it a dual
highway between Defense high
way in Bladensburg and Green
belt road, about AZ miles.
8. Dualization of River road
for 81 miles from Defense high
way at BladenSburg-where it
will be linked up with the new
dual Edmonston road-to the
District line at Kenilworth ave-
nue..
4. Widening of the Rockville
pike wisconsin avenue) to a
dual highway for As miles be-
tween Rockville and Rock Greek
Park.
S. Further extension of the
Washington National pike (re-
located 240) to Seven Locks
road. just south of Gaithersburg,
in Montgomery County. The
pike is now open between Fred
erick and Hyattstown, and work
is being done on the section be-
tween Hyattstown and Route 118
at Brink.
Sixteenth Street Extension.
6. Extension of Sixteenth
street for 6 Of a mile between
its present terminus at the East
West highway to Georgia ave-
nue.. The extension will have
two 34-foot separated lanes.
7. Construction of a 3O-mile
read between Centreville and
Warwick on Maryland's Eastern
Shore. This is the first lane of
an ultimate dual highway be-
tween the new Chesapeake Bay
Bridge and the Delaware State
line and will provide easier ac-
cess to the New Jersey turnpike.
The decision by the commits
sion to make Viers Mill road dual
between Rockville and Wheaton
came somewhat as a surprise
since the commission, until now,
has said it would only widen
the heavily travelled arters to 48
feet.
Request By Council.
The Montgomery County
Council last fan asked that the
commission give serious consid-
Grafton to making the road dual
rather than merely widening it.
The council also had asked that
the dualization of the Rockville
pike be extended all the way to
the National Institutes of Health
at Bethesda. where the road is
now four lanes wide. but the
commission rejected that plea
for the time being.
The priority list was released
by the commission in a press
conference held at its Baltimore
Office yesterday. The list con-
tanned 122 projects estimated to
cost about $78 million. The COM
mission also will spend another
$14 million this year making sur
veys and plans and acquiring
rights of way for future roads in
the 12-year program.
Other projects pegged for con-
struction this year include:
MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
Construction of a new 5.2-mile road
between Burtonsville and White Oak,
she neT Fst dSa ane % g. Ehat s win wien sysntu 1
extended into Silver Spring.
Resurfacing and widening to "a feet
OF Flower avenue from Piney Branch
road to Franklin avenue. distance Of
straightening, resurfacing and widen
ing to "a feet Of the Germantown
PRESENT a. rOs0 s. s4S and tie new Wash
inGton National pike. distance of IL
Resurfacing a NTH of a mile of Co.
lumbia boulevard between Second avenue
and Georgia avenue in Silver Spring.
PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY.
Resurfacing Fifty-seventh avenue for
. mile between Central avenue and the
Marlboro pike.
Resurfacing Riverdale road for q mile
between Edmonston road and the Balti-
Widening and rssurfacing Of Thirty
seventh avenue through Cottage City
1ssnd .venae sSo rPad hsf and m TS
also involves new bridge over the
Baltimore a. Ohio Railroad tracks.
Resurfacing and widening to 80 feet
iiton and Rhode Island avenues. about
IA miles.