Paving in progress on Washington Township road

April 04, 2003|by RICHARD BELISLE

WAYNESBORO, Pa. - Country Club Road is wider and smoother than it used to be but it also shows a lot more open sky, much to the chagrin of people like Pam Mowrey and some of her neighbors.

Dozens of tall, old trees, many a century old - sycamore, oak, locust and a horse chestnut - were sacrificed to make room for widening the Washington Township, Pa., road to 24 feet where possible. It also will have a 2-foot shoulder.

A spokesman with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said last fall when the trees started to come down that many were too close to the road and were a hazard to motorists.

Mowrey, who lives in an historic farm house at 11128 Country Club Road, lost more trees to the widening project than other property owners along the 2.4-mile stretch being repaired between the Waynesboro borough line and Fish and Game Road.

She said she didn't know for sure how many of her trees were cut down, but that the number possibly was between 12 and 20.

"I know I lost more than anybody," she said. "I guess I could go out and count the holes in the ground to see how many. Some of my trees were huge."

She said she doesn't think much of a project that widens and smoothes out a winding rural road. She said it will create a speedway.

"It's going to be like an interstate highway," she said. "The young kids will really rip and tear down the road now."

Work on the project began last fall. Crews were out Thursday laying down a base layer before the final coating of blacktop can be put down.

PennDOT awarded the contract to Valley Quarries Inc. of Chambersburg, Pa.

The project is scheduled for completion in May, PennDOT spokesman Greg Penny said Thursday.

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