La Plata:  At a recent Board meeting, the Charles County Commissioners received a report of the County’s transportation priorities from Jason Groth of the Planning & Growth Management Department.

Transportation Priorities

 Charles Co.

Waldorf Hwy 301 Bypass

Waldorf 

Route 6 Connector to
Rosewick Rd & 301

La Plata

Widen Route 231 in
partnership w/Calvert Co.

 Hughesville 

Town Common Projects

Bryans Road
Indian Head 

 Revitalize Streetscape

Hughesville 

Relieve Traffic on
Business 5

Waldorf

Widen Hwy 301

White Plains 

Nice Bridge expansion w/
King George Co & MTA

Nanjemoy
Cobb Island 

VanGO Funding

County Wide 

Upgrade Commuter Bus
Service w/MTA

Waldorf
La Plata

Topping the list is preparing the County infrastructure for the Waldorf 301 By-Pass.  Commissioner Gary Hodge informed the Board that the State Highway Association (SHA) is in its final eighteen months of studying construction options for the project before public hearings begin and a final plan is selected from the options.  Widening Middletown Road, extending Western Parkway, constructing the Cross County Connector and connecting St Charles Parkway with Rosewick Road are county projects designed to ease traffic congestion on Highway 301 by creating alternate north/south routes. 

In 2002 the former Board of Commissioners sent a letter to the SHA stating their official preference for option 1A – upgrades to Highway 301 with limited rights of access.

The Public is invited to view all the options, ask questions and give feedback on the Bypass project at the SHA’s three open house type ‘workshops’ on March 20th, 22nd and 24th. 

Second item on the priority list is the County’s Park & Ride commuter bus service partnership with the Maryland Transit Authority (MTA).  Two new Park & Ride locations are in the works; one in La Plata which should open this summer and another on Smallwood Drive in Waldorf for next year.  The County is actively looking for more sites for commuter lots.

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