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By
Greg Guenthner, Times Staff Writer
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Friday, September
23, 2005
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The
Carroll
County Board of Commissioners wants state highway
officials to fast-track preparations for
Md. 32 improvements and begin work before
the summer 2007 start date.
State Highway Administration officials met with the
commissioners Thursday to discuss their progress on the project that includes
a traffic signal at the Md. 32 and
Macbeth
Way intersection and a concrete median between
the intersection and Md. 26.
The state has completed field surveys and is beginning design work and
right-of-way acquisition, said Mark Crampton, SHA assistant district engineer
of planning development.
But county officials said they want the roadwork completed as soon as
possible, and have already promised $2.5 million to make sure it gets done.
"The commissioners have really committed to this project," said
county
Planning Director Steve Horn.
"Their hope was to see an accelerated time frame."
The reason the county put half the money toward the $5 million project was to
expedite the process, said Commissioner Julia Walsh Gouge.
"We normally do not put that kind of money into a state highway,"
Gouge said.
Earlier this month, the county listed road improvements on Md. 32 between Md.
26 and
Macbeth Way
as the county's top transportation project involving state roads for the
upcoming year.
Del. Susan W. Krebs, R-9B, said SHA officials
should move forward with property acquisition and utility relocation
immediately.
"I am disappointed in the time frame," Krebs said. "This is a
very important project that needs to be done."
Crampton said he would see if it would be feasible to speed up the appraisal
process on the land needed to complete the road work, along with completing
certain project phases early, such as relocating utility poles.
After speaking with the commissioners in March, state planners developed
preliminary plans for the improvements.
The road improvement plans include widening Md. 32 to four lanes, the
addition of a right-turn lane from eastbound Md. 26 onto southbound Md. 32,
which will be separated from the main road with a cement barrier, and the
addition of a traffic light at the
Macbeth
Way and Md. 32 intersection. Turning left onto
Md. 32 from the
Piney Ridge
Parkway and
Macbeth Way intersection - just south
of the Md. 26 intersection - creates problems during rush-hour traffic,
according to state planners.
Reach staff writer Greg Guenthner at 410-857-7886 or
gregoryg@lcniofmd.com.
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