Published: November 14, 2008 12:26 am      

Grant money will improve troublesome Garrett County intersection

MCHENRY — A troublesome intersection off U.S. Route 219 will soon be improved with a $744,955 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission to Garrett County.

“It’s really going to be a nice improvement,” County Commission Chairman Denny Glotfelty said. “It will be a big plus for that intersection.”

The improvements will include straightening out the turn at Zeddock Miller Road off Glendale Road, which Glotfelty said would help to improve the visibility at the intersection of Glendale and Zeddock Miller.

The improvements are expected to expand access to Glendale Road and U.S. 219 for new businesses as well, and according to a release from Sen. Benjamin Cardin’s office, the improvements are expected to result in new jobs.

“ARC grants provide important funding to stimulate economic development and growth and greater employment opportunities,” Cardin said. “The Glendale Road/Route 219 intersection is a heavily traveled corridor in the Deep Creek area and needs significant safety upgrades and improvements for commercial access.”

Garrett County will be expected to provide $187,045, bringing the total cost of the project to about $932,000.

Glotfelty said that as the intersection is a high traffic area for biking, the county had hoped there would be biking trails included in the plan through state funding. With the current hold on all State Highway Administration projects, he said, he does not expect that to be part of the current plan.

The improvements, including better turning lanes, should be much safer for the people who are traveling the road as well as to the commercial sites on either side, and that, Glotfelty said, will benefit the tax base in the county.

The same sentiments were expressed by Sen. Barbara Mikulski in the release from Cardin’s office.

“By relieving traffic congestion on crowded Glendale Road, this grant will help Garrett County residents and visitors get to where they need to go faster,” Mikulski said. “As the Deep Creek Lake area continues to grow and attract new businesses, I will keep fighting for a transportation system that gets Marylanders to their jobs, delivers goods to the marketplace and reduces traffic on our roads and highways.”

Design plans for the project are expected to begin immediately and construction is anticipated to start in 2009. The SHA will administer the project and the Federal Highway Administration will serve as the basic federal agency for the project.