Paid for by Citizens for Colburn Committee. Authority John W. Phillips, Jr., Treasurer

New push for Preston bypass
By SARAH ENSOR PEARCE
Staff Writer - Star Democrat
August 30, 2005

PRESTON — Maryland Department of Transportation is conducting a second traffic study in Preston to verify a count taken last spring.

In an Aug. 24 letter to Sen. Richard Colburn, R-37-Mid-Shore, MDT Secretary Robert L. Flanagan wrote the study will be conducted in August and September to cover peak summer weekend traffic and normal weekday commuter traffic.

The original study was completed to determine if Preston’s traffic warranted a bypass, as Preston Commission President J. Ellery Adams requested. MDOT’s State Highway Administration previously denied the town a bypass for its average daily traffic of more than 10,000 cars. Additionally, SHA representatives have told Preston Main Street (part of state Route 331) has capacity to handle projected traffic increases through 2030.

Adams and other public officials have continued to push SHA on this issue.

“I would say that highway was never designed to accommodate the traffic it has today, especially the tractor-trailer use,” said Colburn on Monday.

The water and sewer main lines under Main Street were built in 1937 and have frequent problems related to heavy traffic.

Colburn wrote a letter in support of bypass construction to the north of Preston. The route outlined in Preston’s comprehensive plan would cost $7.7 million, be 1.62 miles long and divert 62 percent of the traffic off Main Street. This is the least expensive of five possible routes.

Colburn said he was unsure if SHA’s original count was accurate.

“I think if you tried to travel through the town of Preston on just a normal weekday, you’ll find that traffic’s very congested,” said Colburn. “With planned developments in Dorchester County and Caroline County, even in Delaware ... those traffic counts are going to have to increase dramatically, because there will be consequently more and more people on the road.”

Flanagan wrote in his letter the SHA is working on several safety and transportation issues in Preston, including signing and striping to improve driver awareness at Preston Elementary School.

“Bypasses were popular in the 1960s as a means to eliminate delay for through traffic,” wrote Flanagan. “It was subsequently found that bypasses could have a detrimental effect on small town business areas. The SHA is not in a position to support a bypass at this time because the existing road is expected to accommodate existing and forecasted traffic volumes.”

But, Colburn said he does not agree with the idea a bypass would be bad for downtown business. In heavily congested areas, he said, people will not stop at local businesses. While it may be easy to pull off the road, getting back on the road is not.

A controlled bypass, with no access ways to businesses allowed, would solve the problem, he said. “Not only are you promoting the purpose of a bypass, but you’re also protecting the businesses in town,” said Colburn. “In order that we plan for the long-term future, the most prudent thing the State Highway Administration could do is to begin a process to plan for such a bypass and identify the real estate necessary to build it and begin the acquisition of such property.”

Colburn said SHA should begin acquiring property with “reasonable speed” because land values are increasing rapidly.

Results of the latest traffic study will be available no later than Nov. 8, the date of the annual Caroline County Consolidated Transportation Program meeting.