LA PLATA, MD (JUNE 5, 2006) - At 4:30 p.m. today the Charles County Commissioners opened Phase 1 of the extension of Rosewick Road to motorists. Following official ribbon-cutting ceremonies, the County Commissioners drove across the new highway which connects Washington Avenue to U.S. 301 just north of the town limits of La Plata.
This new four-lane, divided highway is 2,150 feet long, is enhanced with a 10-foot hiker/biker lane, and ends with a new traffic signal at its intersection with U.S. 301. Construction began on the project in May 2005 and was completed on schedule.
This phase of the highway was designed by Whitman, Requardt and Associates of Baltimore, and constructed by Jimmy Richards & Sons Excavating, Inc. of Waldorf, with inspection provided by Alpha Corporation, also of Baltimore. The project cost was $3,244,602, which is part of the County's $150 million Enhanced Transportation Program in the Capital Improvement Program budget to improve the road system, to accommodate growth, and to relieve traffic congestion.
Working in cooperation with the developers of St. Charles, two more phases are planned to extend Rosewick Road as a four-lane highway to St. Charles Parkway. A new 2,900-foot portion of the highway to link Radio Station Road to St. Charles Parkway is under construction. The final construction phase to upgrade the existing two lanes between Washington Avenue and Radio Station Road to four lanes is anticipated to begin later this year.
When the Rosewick Road to St. Charles Parkway extension is completed, the northern boundary of Route 5 in Waldorf will be linked to U.S. 301 in La Plata.
More information about transportation improvement projects in Charles County is available by viewing the slide presentation located at http://www.charlescounty.org/pgm/devserv/slideshows/enhancedtransp/index.html. You can also call 301-645-0618.