WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski and Benjamin L. Cardin(both D-MD) announced today that the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has awarded Garrett County a $744,955 grant to make intersection improvements and realign a section of Glendale Road at U.S. Rt. 219 (Garrett Highway) in the Deep Creek Lake area.

“By relieving traffic congestion on crowded Glendale Road, this grant will help Garrett County residents and visitors get to where they need to go faster,” said Senator Mikulski. “As the Deep Creek Lake area continues to grow and attract new businesses, I will keep fighting for a transportation system that gets Marylanders to their jobs, delivers goods to the marketplace and reduces traffic on our roads and highways.”

“ARC grants provide important funding to stimulate economic development and growth and greater employment opportunities,” said Senator Cardin. “The Glendale Road/ Rt. 219 intersection is a heavily traveled corridor in the Deep Creek area and needs significant safety upgrades and improvements for commercial access.”

The project will expand access to Glendale Road and Rt. 219 for new businesses. The Deep Creek Lake area is the cornerstone of Garrett County’s tourism and economic center, and it is expected that the improvements will result in up to 200 new jobs.

Garrett County will provide $187,045 to the project, which will cost a total of $932,000. Design plans are expected to begin immediately and construction is expected to begin in 2009. The Maryland State 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 federal-state partnership that works with the people of Appalachia to create opportunities for self-sustaining economic development and improved quality of life.