Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-06-25
State Roads
Head Will
Visit Here

John B. Funk, new chair
man of the Maryland State
Roads Commission, said this
week that he will visit Mont
gomery County in a couple
of weeks to look over some
of the County's traffic bot
tlenecks.
He volunteered to make the
inspection trip with other SRC
officials during a meeting of
the Commission and the Mont.
gomery County Council in Bal
timore Tuesday.
The Council was the first
Maryland governing body TO
meet with the SRC and talk
about road problems this year.
The Commission will listen to
other governing heads from
elsewhere in Maryland at sub
sequent hearings.
Purpose of the meeting was
TO air both sides of the road
building question: the SRC has
drastically curtailed many pro-
jects throughout the State, re-
portedly because sources of rev.
enue for road building have
proved insufficient for all SEIZED
uled projects.
Montgomery County finds H.
self with only three SRC prof.
ects underway or planned for
this year: enlargement of the
interchange of Rt. l18 and u. ).
24O at the Atomic Energy Com.
mission and several bridges over
the Circumferential highway.
The Council centered its dis
cussions with SRC officials on
the States 12.year-program OF
construction, and principally
on projects contained in the pro.
grams first four years. The
plan was devised in 1852.
The Council called for early
completion of GIT miles of a
dualized University blvd, East.
To date, only So miles have
been completed or put under
contract. The Council was par
ticularly concerned about future
widening Of University blvd. in
the vicinity of Veirs Mill I'd.
where the huge Wheaton Plaza
is building.
They pointed out that this
shopping spa with 5000 spaces
for autos will generate more
traffic than the presently mar.
row University blvd. can now
handle.
The Council also called for
renewal of plans - now drop.
ped for the dualization Of
Old Georgetown I'd. from Wis
consin ave. to BELLS Mill I'D.
Current SRC plans call for dual
ization only as far South as
Suburban Hospital.
Another shortened State Road,
River rd., came under the Coun-
ellis scrutiny before the Com
mission. Originally planned for
construction in the first four
years Of the program was a
"a mile stretch Of widened River
I'd. that now has been shrunk
to only or of a mile from the
District line Northward.
As planned, the widened por.
ton would stop at Brookside
dr.. The Council said this was
an Illogical place to stop and
the road should be widened at
least as far North as Goldsboro
I'd.
Another traffic bottleneck sin
gled out was the intersection
OF Wisconsin ave-, East.West
hgwy., and Old Georgetown I'd.
Although the intersection is not
contained in the 12.year pro.
gram, the Council asked the
Commission to see il il couldn't
add another lane for North.
bound traffic that could turn
right into East.West hgwy.
Mason A. Butcher, director of
Montgomery County Public
Works Department, said that
cost Of the job would be around
$4,000 but that land acquisition
from a gas station at the corner
would be in the neighborhood
of $4,000.
Traffic that would use the
lane now is backed up two or
three blocks during rush hours.
In an all-encompassing state.
ment, the Council asked the
State Roads Commission to re.
view its plans for Montgomery