Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-02-12
Plan Would Speed
Work on Belt Roads
Proposal Coils
For Bond Issue
Of$l0O Million
By CHARLES L. HOFFMAN
Star Stan Writer

Guar obdu WIlteE
ANNAPOLIS, Feb. l2.-New
financing schemes that would
assure almost immediate con.
struction of the Washington
and Baltimore circumferential
highways were unveiled here
last night.
The surprise disclosure of the
scheme came in the midst of
"a rough-and-tumble question:
and-answer period between
legislators and the Maryland
State Roads Commission.
Keyed to the proposals would
be authorization for the roads
commission to issue 500 mil
lion in bonds backed by the
State in anticipation Of funds
to be received from the Federal
aid highway program.
A road official said that If
the bond issues are approved
by the Legislature, the Balti-
more belt road would be COM
pleted within two years and
the Washington circumferen-
tial almost as quickly"
Road Chairman Robert o,
Bonnell also disclosed plans
for issuing $35 million of the
total as revenue bonds to
finance a 26-mile stretch Of
the northeastern expressway
between Baltimore City and
Aberdeen, Md. He described
the alternate road for the
present route 40 as one of the
most important in the State.
The road would be built and
operated as a toll facility for
10 years with the Federal Gov
eminent picking up 80 per cent
of the price tag at the end of
the period when the tolls
would be removed.
Projects Listed
Mr.. Bonnell said he had
stressed this proposal. which he
described as my brainstorm,"
with Federal highway officials
and they expressed definite in
terest. At present, the Federal
highway aid law does not per.
NIT matching funds for A.
nancing toll facilities.
State roads officials report.
eddy are interested in pressing
ahead on six projects in add:-
ton to the northeastern ex-
pressway within the interstate
system if the proposed flnanc-
ing can win legislative approval.
Included would be:
/. The 33-mile Washington
circumferential costing $64
million.
2. The remaining IL miles Of
the 31-mile Baltimore belt
costing $25 million.
3. A stretch of Route 40 be-
tween Frederick and Hagers-
town costing between $40 and
$l2 million.
4. Portions of Route 40 be-
tween Hagerstown and Hancock
costing between SIS and SIT
million.
5. A section of Route II,
north of Hagerstown costing
about 81 million.
6. An additional lane for q
part of the Baltimore Harris
burg expressway costing So
million.
Some roads officials believe
the northeastern expressway
tolls would amortize the full
$500 million bond issue.
Financed by ALLEGATIONS
Road bonds normally are not
backed by the States credit.
They are financed out of spe-
cific ALLEGATIONS from the spe-
cial. road revenue such as the
gasoline tax and the motor
vehicle registration fees.
The State. if the Federal aid
formula is changed as antici-
pated this year. will get more
than $50 million as its share
during the next two years. This
coupled with the bond issue
proposed would finance the
Speedup of projects. an official
said.
House Majority Leader A
Gordon Boone directed Joseph
B. Buscher, assistant attorney
general for the roads agency.
to prepare the necessary leg
islation.
Commission Chief Engineer
Norman M. Pritchett said the
State would save considerable
money If it could build the belt
road and the northeast ex.
presSWay at one time