Chancellors Run Road as we know it today will only be a memory by 2010, due to a $60 Million project underway to turn the road into a 4-lane highway.
According to the State Highway Administration (SHA), the average daily traffic of 18,000 on Chancellor’s Run (Route 237) is expected to nearly double by 2030 due to the peak hour traffic volumes resulting from residential and commercial growth in the Lexington Park area.The current road is narrow with short shoulders and sharp horizontal and vertical curves.
Route 237 will become a four-lane divided highway with 16-foot outside lanes to accommodate bicycles, a raised median, dedicated turn lanes and audible/countdown pedestrian crossing signals.
Furthermore, there will be five new traffic lights installed along Rte. 237 located at the intersections of Amber Drive and the Fire Department Lane, Military Road and Greenview Parkway, Buck Hewitt Road and Norris Road, Horsehead Road and Chancellor’s Run Regional Park and where Pegg Road meets Chancellor’s Run Road.
During the construction phases there is no plan of completely shutting down the road; however, occasional closures should be expected on the off-peak traffic hours. The SHA also says the construction activities may cause temporary inconveniences and access to businesses and homes will be met with nominal impediments.
The construction of Rte. 237 will not only affect drivers but homeowners as well. There are 100+ properties that are losing chunks of property to the expansion.
According to the local government, working with owners has not been a problem, but at least one property owner tells a different story.
Much sentiment stems from the fact that some property owners feel that their property taken is being undervalued by the state.
“Everybody is upset about it, the road is so close, everybody thinks the state is stealing their property,” Jerry Creadle, a resident affected by the project told The Bay Net. “What the government is offering monetarily is not just compensation; the homeowner should be made whole again as stated in the constitution.”
If citizens are interested in this road project they can contact 877-224-5928 or send an email to rrager@sha.state.md.us, with MD 237 in the subject line, for more information.
See slideshow below for pictures from an SHA information session held on April 15, including a construction timeline and construction drawings.