Published: November 02, 2007 10:09 am      

Alternative to Route 219 bypass already on record

Garrett Countians for Smart Growth, an organization for smart economic growth and development of Garrett County, is on record being opposed to the so-called Route 219 bypass through Oakland and outside of the smart growth area.

This alignment transverses the beautiful farms and impacts truck traffic through Mountain Lake Park on Route 135 to the Southern industrial Park.

We believe there is an alternate alignment to get truck traffic to the Industrial Park from the National Freeway Interstate 68 and that is via Route 495 from Chestnut Ridge to Swanton along the Savage River Forest road.

During local investigation and research there was a route referred to as the “MEADOW MOUNTAIN PARKWAY” contained in the Comprehensive Plan for Garrett County dated May 20, 1974, by the board of County Commissioners, Wayne Hamilton, chairman; Earl Opel, and Bernard Guy.

This plan is quite comprehensive and at the time costly to produce. One of the primary options of the plan was to divert unnecessary traffic from Deep Creek Lake area. This is also one of the purposes of the Smart Growth organization and that is to upgrade Route 495 for traffic from Grantsville to Swanton.

This proposal has been brought to the attention of all parties involved, and it is incumbent for the State Highway Administration to explore this plan.

DeCorsey E. Bolden

Oakland