BY IJEOMA OPARA
Maryland Sen. Jim Rosapepe (District 21) called for swift planning and completion of the U.S. Route 1 Improvement Project Nov. 9 during a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the end of Phase 1 in College Park.
Rosapepe applauded the State Highway Administration for the effort put into the construction during Phase 1 and commended residents for their support.
“We’re hoping that we can get the planning [for the rest of the project] in this coming year’s budget, and we’ve asked State Highway [Administration] to do that,” he told College Park Here & Now. “We’ve met with them on it, and we’ll see when they submit their budget in January, but we’re going to be working on the Legislature very hard to get the planning for the next phases going as soon as possible.”
The first phase of the Route 1 Improvement Project, which cost $56.9 million, began in 2020 to add bicycle lanes, raise mediums, expand lanes and upgrade drainage. The newly completed Phase 1 improvements stretch between College Avenue and University Boulevard, while the second and third phases will extend to I-495.
Rosapepe said planning for the project began about 25 years ago. He identified funding and the relocation of various utility lines as issues that delayed its execution and completion.
“We never could get the construction going until 2013, which is 11 years ago,” Rosapepe said. “The governor proposed revenue increases for transportation, which we needed, and so the 21st Delegation made clear that we could not support the revenue increase for transportation statewide unless we got this project moving. And that’s what finally got it moving.”
College Park Mayor Fazlul Kabir, who also spoke at the ribbon-cutting event, said community members had demanded improvements on the road to make it safer.
Maryland State Highway Administrator William Pines told attendees the benefits of the construction are already evident and the SHA remains committed to safety improvements.
“We are going to keep going,” Pines said. “We’re going to continue to pursue grant funding through the US DOT RAISE program to try to achieve a grant for future costs.”
According to State Highway Administration Deputy Director Charlie Gischlar, the new grant funding through US DOT RAISE would support improvements to MD 210, or Indian Head Highway.
