After nearly four years of planning, focus groups and workshops, the State Highway Administration is prepared to endorse widening a nine-mile stretch of Route 32 in rural western Howard County.

Although state highway officials said they have not given up on a no-build alternative, they are expected to inform residents at tonight'spublic hearing at Glenelg High School that expanding the highway is necessary to accommodate an expected increase in traffic over the next 20 years.

The decision is likely to anger members of a grass-roots organization called Citizens Alliance for Rural Preservation, which is opposed to the widening project.

"We do not want them to go ahead with the plan," said alliance President Deborah Izzi. "It's sheer lunacy."

Added Nancy Peters, whose back yard abuts Route 32: "They're building a beltway. It's worse than [Interstate] 70, the way they're planning it."

The hearing that begins tonight at 5: 30 caps a lengthy process, which began in July 1995 when the SHA initiated a planning study of possible improvements to Route 32 north of Route 108 in Clarksville.

In February 1996, a focus group was formed to help officials develop ideas. Five months later, SHA presented preliminary design plans to residents.

In June at Glenelg High School, officials provided more detailed concepts to about 200 residents. Residents were generally divided in their opinions of the proposal. SHA is proposing two plans, one of which would double the two-lane road between Route 108 and Interstate 70 and install seven interchanges and entrance and exit ramps at Linden Church Road, Burntwoods Road, Nixons Farm Lane and other locations. The projected cost is as high as $161 million.

The other plan would be the same as the first, but it would eliminate the interchange at Nixons Farm Lane and cost $147 million. Any expansion would displace one business and force nine residents to relocate.

The no-build alternative would provide some resurfacing and paving.

Heather Murphy, SHA project manager for the project planning division, said officials are concerned about the increase from 91 reported accidents in 1995 and 1996 to 144 in 1997 and 1998 on Route 32.

She also noted that traffic between Route 108 and Linden Church Road is projected to grow from 18,300 vehicles a day in 1997 to 29,900 a day in 2020.

"Our biggest concern is making it a safe and operating roadway," Murphy said, adding that construction wouldn't begin for at least five years and could take as long as 10 years to complete. "The only way to do that is to fully control access for safety and dualize the road for capacity."

County Executive James N. Robey, a former police chief, said he, too, is worried about safety. "I'm for doing something for Route 32. I'm not sure what's the right thing to do," he said this week.

Former County Councilman Charles C. Feaga, who represented the western district, said extending public water and sewer lines -- not widening the thoroughfare -- would encourage further development.

"If we hold the line on sewage and water in the area, people can't do developments," he said. "We have to stay tight on zoning."

Feaga's successor, Allan H. Kittleman, said he is worried about school buses battling commuters who live outside the county.

"I don't like the fact that we're in the middle of the state and that people drive through us, but that's a fact of life," said Kittleman, who supports the expansion. "I would rather have it so that we don't have the traffic jams and accidents we are seeing now."

But opponents have argued that the road expansion would invite more traffic into the area and that noise from tractor-trailers would disrupt neighborhoods and lower property values.

State Sen. Christopher J. McCabe said he and Dels. Robert H. Kittleman and Robert L. Flanagan -- all of whom represent the district in which the proposed site is located -- said noise is a significant issue because SHA has said it won't install sound barriers along Route 32.

"The delegation believes that we need to address the safety issues and capacity issues, but we're very concerned about the noise impacts on residents who live along the road," McCabe said. "We're interested in making sure that they're not negatively impacted."

Izzi contended that traffic on Route 32 has lightened since the November opening of Route 100, which parallels Route 32.

"I thought we were imagining stuff, but the traffic has decidedly gone down during rush hours," she said. "I think we should give Route 100 a chance and see if that's not adequate."

Pub Date: 3/18/99