February 3rd, 2012 by WCBC Radio

The North-South Corridor remains the top transportation priority for the western Maryland region, with a request this year for Tier II of the corridor funding. It’s all part of a longstanding effort to build a north-south road along U.S. Route 220 between Interstate 68 and Corridor H in West Virginia. So far, the only funding allocated covers the planning process, which selects a preferred corridor. That selection would be modified in the Tier 2 portion of highway development, which would select a specific path. The proposed road would run from I-68 near Cumberland to Corridor H in Grant County, W.Va.  Brenda Smith, Executive Director of the Greater Cumberland Committee, tells WCBC News that the project still needs funding and has moved at a slow pace. The project is projected to provide 30,000 permanent and construction-related jobs in the region.  The concept began in 1998, and a feasibility study concluded in 2001. The fact that there are three states and multiple levels of government agencies involved contributes greatly to the slow pace.