This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Politics & Government

Leggett Cuts Ribbon on Watkins Mill Extension

The road is Gaithersburg's top transportation priority.

County Executive Isiah Leggett joined local officials to cut the ribbon on the Watkins Mill Road extension that will take MD 355 a step closer to connecting with Interstate 270 opened Thursday.

Leggett was joined by City of Gaithersburg Mayor Sidney Katz and other elected officials.

“Today is a good day,” Montgomery County Department of Transportation Director Arthur Holmes stated in his opening remarks.

Find out what's happening in Gaithersburgwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Watkins Mill Road extension is intended to relieve congestion from Montgomery Village Avenue, I-270 and Watkins Mill Road.  The six-lane extension includes a sidewalk, a bike path and street lighting. This extension will also be the future home of the Montgomery County Police 6th District headquarters and the new Gaithersburg Senior Activity Center.

“Magnificent job ….truly a great road”, Leggett said.

Find out what's happening in Gaithersburgwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Leggett noted that this project was one of many that the County needs in order to improve its tranportation infrastructure. 

Earlier this week, Leggett testified about the state's infrastructure needs to the House Ways and Means, Appropriations, and Economic Matters Committee and Senate Budget and Tax Committee in Annapolis. In his testimony, he said:

“In fact, in 2007, the Washington region ranked second behind Los Angeles as having the worst traffic congestion in the nation. Four years later, we now have the dubious distinction of being number one.

"The last transportation priorities letter we sent to our State Delegation identified a backlog for the design and construction of State road projects in excess of $1.1 billion. If we include in an estimate the funding needed for projects of regional significance like the widening of I-270, the Corridor Cities Transitway, and the Purple Line, the number approaches $4 billion.”

Read Leggett’s complete testimony; click here.

 

About the Project:

The Watkins Mill Town Center website says the “Watkins Mill Freeway Interchange has been named by Montgomery County as a top priority road improvement, and the City of Gaithersburg has determined that it is the No. 1 transportation priority. In November 2006, Montgomery County Council backed this initiative with an $8.5 million construction funding allocation for the extension of Watkins Mill Road to either end of I-270.” See what is coming and learn more about the project; click here.

The Montgomery County Division of Transportation website states: “This project provides for facility planning of the missing pieces of Watkins Mill Road on both sides of I-270. Watkins Mill Road is designated as A-17 in the 1985 Gaithersburg Vicinity Master Plan, and it links M-24, M26 and (future) M-83. The Master Plan calls for 4-lanes within an 80' ROW. This project includes 2 bridges, one over CSX RR and the second over a tributary of Great Seneca Creek”. For further details on the project; click here.

 

Photo captions

Peter Henry, Principal at BP Realty Investments, LLC, thanked the county & city officials and remarked “it is a critical road” (referring to the Watkins Mill Extension). BP Realty is building the mixed-use Spectrum at Watkins Mill on a 40-acre site that will include the road extension and has already constructed a four-lane road from west of I-270 to east of Clopper Road.

County Executive Isiah “Ike” Leggett, City of Gaithersburg Mayor Sidney Katz (both center), other City & County elected officials, planners, developers and landscapers cut the ribbon, officially opening the Watkins Mill interchange.

City of Gaithersburg Mayor Sidney Katz said “Gaithersburg is the greatest City in the world, but one of the reasons it is, is because it is in the greatest County in the world”.

View of the Watkins Mill Road extension, this view is towards 27o. Travelers will be able to turn right or left onto 355 or continue onto Watkins Mill Road.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?