WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-Md.) today announced that the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) awarded Washington County $1,000,000 to construct an access road extension for the Mt. Aetna Technology Park. The grant will be used to begin Professional Extension Phase II, which will extend Professional Blvd by .14-mile to connect two 4-lane roadways with Yale Drive Extended.
“Investing in infrastructure is at the core of creating jobs and supporting regional growth. The Mt. Aetna Technology Park will be an economic anchor for Washington County and will bring about 2,000 new jobs in the over the next 15 years to the area,” said Senator Cardin, a senior member of the Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee. “Companies engaged in cybersecurity, along with our burgeoning biotech and other high-tech industries, will be better able to take root in Washington County because of continuing support from ARC.”
“This grant is about jobs in Western Maryland,” Senator Mikulski said. “Connecting these access roads will strengthen the infrastructure in Washington County to help it attract new high-tech businesses, jobs and economic development to the region.”
This grant will extend Professional Blvd in either direction to connect Eastern Blvd and Robinwood Drive with Yale Drive Extended. Eastern Blvd and Robinwood Drive are high volume roads, carrying up to 20,000 vehicles a day. Connecting these roads with the Professional Extension Phase I Yale Drive Extension will provide a much needed additional route to the Meritus Regional Medical Center, Hagerstown Community College and the 173-acre Mt. Aetna Technology Park at Hagerstown. The Maryland Highway Administration (MSHA) will administer the project and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will serve as the basic federal agency for the project.
The ARC is a key partner in maximizing federal, state and local resources to promote economic development in Western Maryland and throughout the region. This project is expected to create 2,000 new jobs over the next 15 years in Western Maryland. The funding announced today will bring ARC’s contribution to $3,820,275 million for the Professional Extension project.
Senators Cardin and Mikulski have been leading supporters of the ARC Commission in the U.S. Senate. In recognition of his support of regional economic development and the ARC, Senator Cardin received the 2012 Congressional Award from the Development District Association of Appalachia.
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