Maryland Community Newspapers Online
It should come as no big surprise, the black hole of road projects, what is known as the Intercounty Connector, already more than $100 million over budget, is sucking up state road dollars at an alarming rate at the very time when those dollars are growing scarcer.
But in an epic example of adding insult to injury, the State Highway Administration has announced that an estimated $1.2 billion shortfall in revenues would affect Montgomery County's top road priority — the badly needed intersection improvements to Georgia Avenue (Route 97) at Randolph Road. It is to be delayed three years.
Even worse, the SHA insists on opening the first leg of the ICC, which will dump its southbound traffic onto Georgia Avenue in the fall of 2010, well before the entire ICC is built. This will cause more traffic not only at the "failed" intersection at Route 28 and Georgia Avenue, but also at the now delayed Randolph Road and Georgia Avenue intersection.
Residents of Wheaton, Glenmont, Layhill, Aspen Hill, Silver Spring, Olney and others in the Georgia Avenue area will suffer from this clear lack of judgment.
Everyone realizes that the state budget is under pressure (not uncoupled from the national economic mess), but the SHA must reconsider its decision to open the ICC "interim" connection at Route 28 and Georgia until the entire ICC is completed.
Don Praisner, Calverton
The writer, a Democrat, represents District 4 on the County Council.
