Rockville residents will be able to sound off on two vastly different ways of easing traffic at the intersection of First Street and Veirs Mill Road on Tuesday.
During an open meeting, the State Highway Administration is asking them to choose between an expensive proposal that tears down almost 20 houses yet does more to fix the corridor’s overwhelming traffic situation and a less costly, less effective proposal that only demolishes two homes.
Project Manager Carmeletta Harris said Friday that she does not have figures for how manycars travel the two main roadways daily but that the intersection’s “completely stop and go. You might be at a light three or four or more times” before getting through, she said.
Technically, the State Highway Administration has put forth three options:
» Do nothing. But even if the InterCounty Connector pushes forward as planned, Harris says traffic flow at the intersection will still fail.
» Widen the four approaches to the intersection, a move set to cost $18 million to $25 million and displace a pair of homes. Traffic flow would only be upgraded from an F score to a D in the morning and to an E, just below failing, in the evening.
» Elevate Veirs Mill over First and then add two-lane off-ramps and one-lane on-ramps, the most drastic option. “Veirs Mill will basically be bridged over top,” Harris said.
The cost for this type of overpass would be between $77 million and $85 million.
If you go
What: Maryland’s State Highway Administration is holding a public hearing on several projects at First Street and Veirs Mill Road.
Where: Rockville High School at 2100 Baltimore Road
When: Tuesday; at 5 p.m.; at 7 p.m. there will be a 30-minute formal presentation
For more info: E-mail Carmeletta Harris at [email protected] or call her at 410-545-8522.
