Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-10-25
'Breather' Set
In Work on
National Pike
Maryland to Delay
Rockville-D. c. Link
For Lock of Funds
CONSTRUCTION 81 the new wash

Construction OF the new WASH
ington national pike GU. s. 240l
viii stop "for o breather" at
Route % on the northwest edge
of Rockville. two Montgomery
County legislators announced
today.
State Senator Edward S.
Northrop and Delegate Blair Lee
III, both Democrats, made the
disclosure in q report Of a two
hour conference they had last
week with members Of the State
Roads Commission and SRC
Chief Engineer Norman Pritchett'
The two legislators said their
purpose ain visiting the COM
mission was to ascertain. as
definitely as possible, the sched-
uling of certain major projects
In the county"
Opening in Spring
The new million dollar-a-mile
national pike. which eventually
will link Washington and Fred
erick, Md, is scheduled to be
opened to Route % late next
spring. It Is now open from .
POINT Just south Of Frederick to
Germantown. An additional
southwark extension Of the dual
expressway to Browns Station
road in Gaithersburg is to open
shortly.
Mr.. Northrop and Mr.. Lee said
the commission feels that 1t
should not continue construction
Of the pike below Route 20 "url-
til it has enough funds to carry
all the way through to Wiscon-
sin avenue."N
"If the pike were TO end tenn
porarily at Montrose road, III
den lane or Old Georgetown
road + Ahe legislators statement
said. .'it would put an unbearable
volume of traffic on any one OF
them. The commission expects
to be able to proceed with the
pike next year. but admits that
1t will be in a much stronger
position if Congress comes
through with a new Federal aid
Ito highways program
To Advertise for Bids
The two legislators said they
also were told by SRC officials
that:
/. Bids will be advertised
within the next few weeks" on
the second section of Viers Mill
road, from Randolph road to
Georgia avenue.
Q. The only other project likely
to be advertised during the cur
rent calendar year is q section
Of the intercounty belt freeway
between Wisconsin and Connec-
ticut avenue.
8. Engineering plans have
been completed for the inn
proyement of Rockville pike be-
tween Bethesda and Rockville,
and As out Of l08 parcels Of
right-of-way have been acquired.
There is little hope, however,
that the project can be adj
vertised for construction bids be-
fore next summer.
4. Construction plans for next
year also include the next section
of U. s.. 20 between Cedarcroft
Sanitarium and Burnt Mills, and
the first section of Maryland 1913
between Chevy Chase Lake and
Kensington.
5. The portion OF Maryland
1913 Connecticut avenue-Old
Bladensburg road in Prince
Georges County, between the
new University of Maryland by
pass at Adelphi road and the
county line west Of New Hamp-
shire avenue has top priority
and may get under way this year.
6. THE extension Of Sixteenth
street in Silver Spring is in a
state of confusion. The plan to
connect with Columbia boule-
ward is being held in allegiance
for a review of a proposal to
connect Sixteenth street with
Arson street so it can tie with
the county's project for a by
pass route around the north end
of the Silver Spring business
approved, it will permit traffic
district. If the latter plan is
from both Colesville road and
Georgia avenue to connect with
Sixteenth street without passing
through the commercial area"
Protest Plan
The legislators said they pro-
tested the plan to build a Sec
ton of the inter-county belt
ahead of the Rockville pike and
Route 1913 improvement projects.
They said they we're told. how
ever, that "the belt route section,
costing only 100000, cannot be
considered In competition with
the other projects, which cost
from SIS million up"
I'm other words the report
added, IF the belt route section
is deferred, it will not mean that
one Of the other Montgomery
County porjects can be adj
vanced."
The legislators said the roads
commission is now in a position
to commit about 81 million worth
of work throughout the State
eaech month. and. 81 million of
that is needed for engineering
and right-of-way costs.
Each OF the major projects in
Montgomery is so costly, the
legislators said they were told,
that 1T virtually eats up the
SRC's ALLEGATION for an entire
month";"
Class on Children