| QO Road Survey Flags
Date: January 19, 2005 "The lanes are not being widened, nor is the curve in the park being changed." , Timothy H. Cupples, P.E., Assist Section Chief, Sadly UNTRUE !
If you still have questions, I encourage you to
contact me directly. |
Many Quince Orchard Road residents recall that in October, 2000 the Montgomery County Dept. of Public Works and Transportation had proposed a plan that hundreds felt would convert Quince Orchard Rd into a high speed, high volume commuter bypass resembling an expressway . Many also feared that the road would become a feeder from Gaithersburg into a 2nd Potomac River Bridge.
Several years and almost a dozen meetings later, Quince Orchard Road residents, falsely assured by DPWT (twice), thought they were getting what they wanted all along – a safe, upgraded road with a sidewalk and separate bike path, but retaining the characteristics that make it one of the most beautiful rural drives that remain in Montgomery County.
Wishful Thinking! In December of 2005, DPWT quietly proposed project... "Quince Orchard Road S Curve - No. 500701", reintroducing that portion of the original plan rejected by the County Council in 2004. The department was very careful not to let anyone know that the plan had been submitted, but luckily, the project was "outed" in time. They proposed increasing speed by replacing the natural speed inhibitor and rebuilding the creek bridge to support 80,000 pound, 18 wheel tractor trailer trucks.
Only your efforts and those of your neighbors will protect Quince Orchard Road from becoming a death trap for any of us leaving our neighborhoods, and from unbearable commuter and truck traffic. Be ready to act fast, because DPWT has already performed their project study. All they need now is County Council approval for the $4,000,000 in funds they need to move forward with this heinous plan.