the Panama Canal, the Saint Lawrence Seaway and the Grand Coulee
Dam. When completed it will have used some 1. 8 million man-years of
on-site labor. Although it will constitute only one per cent of our street
and road mileage, it will carry 20 per cent of the traffic. By 1973,
savings to the motorists using the interstate system will be such that
the system will have almost paid for itself. Certainly no other invest-
ment pays so many dividends to its stockholders.
In Maryland this Administration has been assigned the responsibility
of constructing 354 miles of this mighty system. According to schedules
compiled by the Federal Bureau of Public Roads which, as you know,
pays 90 per cent of the construction cost, 1964 was the year by which
one-half the system was to be open to traffic in each state. Maryland
has, at present, 71 per cent of its mileage open to traffic. We are the
only State in the union which has completed two beltway systems
around major cities. The Baltimore Beltway was opened in 1962 and
the Capital Beltway was opened last August. Other projects in Western
Maryland and in the Washington area are moving ahead as rapidly
as possible. In fact, all our interstate mileage, with the possible exception
of that in Baltimore City, will be under construction within the next four
years.
Of course the interstate system is only a part of the great road-
building program which has continued over the past six years. We
have also made available to our citizens many other important primary
highways. Just a few of these include the continued dualization of
Route 40, our "Great Road West, " into our Appalachian counties and
dualization of Route 50, leading from our metropolitan centers to the
recreational paradise of the Eastern Shore. Other projects include the
dualization of Route 13, a major north-south artery on the Shore, and
Route 5 into Southern Maryland.
I could go on, but it suffices to say that we have met and are con-
tinuing to meet our goal—that is to give Maryland a backbone system
of arterial highways which not only will move vast numbers of people
and huge amounts of goods in a safe and efficient manner, but will also
assist in maintaining our record economic growth. In addition, we have
provided increased sums of money for the construction and improve-
ment of our secondary road projects. These two-land facilities are of
utmost importance, serving as links into the heart of our State's less
populous areas, bringing fast and efficient transportation to even the
most remote sections. We have undertaken an impressive program for
road reconstruction. This includes the use of additional funds to
straighten winding paths which have become dangerous under existing
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