Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 17 · column 2 of 7 · from the scan, no model involved
The options for traversing Loudoun County include following Rt. 28 and bridging the Potomac between the G.W. tract and Janelia Farms or .cutting a new highway corridor that crosses Rt. 50 at Lena and then either (1) follows the power line and crosses the river between Goose Creek and Leesburg, (2) crosses Route 7 at the Leesburg bypass, continues around the town, and runs up Rt. 15, (3) hits Rt. 15 south of Leesburg just in front of the Catoctin Mountains, (4) swings east to meet Rt. 15, or (5) intersects Rt. 50 just west of Aldie, then meets Rt. 15 where it connects with Rt. 704, goes north to Rt. 9 at Clark’s Gap, skirts Waterford and crosses the Potomac at Point of Rocks.
Of the six river crossings, the two east of Leesburg bring the highway into western Montgomery County’s farm belt in violation of that county’s land use policies. The four crossings west of Leesburg traverse Loudoun’s agricultural districts and property under conservation easements held by the Virginia Outdoors Foundation.
According to BMI’s Dave Metcalf, the engineering criteria used to select the six crossing points included (1) the steepness of the approaches and (2) the width of the C&O Canal Park on the Maryland side. The wider the park, the more bridge structure that’s necessary and the more expensive the bridge construction, he explained.
In the next three weeks, BMI will hold six public informational meetings, ending with a session on Oct. 4 at the Westpark Hotel in Leesburg. “We won’t enter the next phase of the study until the two state highway administrators agree on which alternatives are to be carried forward,” said Pederson, adding this could happen two or three weeks after the last public meeting.
This winter, following the selection of the four finalists, more informational meetings will be scheduled and in the fall of 1989, after the de
92.0%