Construction Projects

Admitting that Harford County is in the midst of a public schools crisis, County Executive James M. Harkins has disclosed some details of plans - both short- and long-term - that he says will help ease the overcrowding in schools. During a recent interview to discuss education, Harkins talked about immediate steps he will be taking to address the situation at Fallston Middle School, which is over capacity. He revealed details of his plan to finance the construction of a middle and high school complex in the Bel Air area and said it was time for the county to "look outside the box" in its search for creative solutions to school construction.

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration will give the oil and gas industry two years to comply with a storm water regulation that goes into effect tomorrow, and it will consider granting the industry a permanent exemption. Environmental groups and environmentalists in Congress criticized this as granting special rights to a favored industry, at the risk of polluting the nation's rivers and lakes. The administration said it needs more time to determine the impact the rule would have on the industry and whether it should be applied to production and exploration for oil and gas. The rule orders builders and others whose construction projects cover anywhere from 1 acre to 5 acres to get the permission of state or federal officials before beginning the work.

The once-tolerable morning commute into Baltimore has turned torturous for thousands of downtown workers, who have seen highways morph into parking lots and construction sites sprout like so many weeds in recent months. The snowy weather has taken its toll, but the chief culprit is roadwork. City and state officials are in the middle of the most aggressive road expansion campaign since the highway system was built. At the same time, more cars than ever are on the roads. Highway officials say motorists will thank them in the future, but drivers today are paying a steep toll.

Harford County politicians and education officials appealed to the state Board of Public Works yesterday for an additional $1.8 million in school construction funds in the coming fiscal year, arguing the money is needed for projects to modernize school buildings, provide basic maintenance and alleviate crowding. County Executive James M. Harkins said the county's burgeoning population will necessitate $309 million in school construction funding over the next 10 years. Although the current requests were modest compared to the wish lists of some other counties, he said Harford's four listed projects are essential.

Traffic cones and drums on Route 140 signal the start of a half-million-dollar project along a half-mile stretch of the divided road on its approach to Westminster, according to the State Highway Administration. Construction will include adding a concrete median and acceleration and deceleration lanes near the Maryland State Police barracks and Motor Vehicle Administration offices - east of Route 97, said Lora Rakowski, an SHA spokeswoman. Crossovers between the eastbound and westbound lanes will be closed temporarily at Hemlock Lane and at the state buildings, she said.

The Carroll school board will hold a public hearing tonight on the county's preliminary proposal for school construction and renovation projects planned for the next decade. Parents with children at South Carroll High and the county's two career and technology centers are expected to object to recent decisions to scale back projects at those buildings. Although South Carroll had been scheduled for a building modernization and fine arts addition - neither of which has received county or state funding - school officials have cut the project to the fine arts addition.

Flights increasing to Boston, Seattle, Milwaukee, South Delta Airlines will add an additional flight from Baltimore-Washington International Airport to Atlanta, beginning June 1, and AirTran Airways will add two more Boston flights and one more Orlando, Fla., flight, starting June 5. US Airways will reinstate its seasonal service to Seattle on June 17, and Skyway Airlines, the Midwest Express Connection, will add a third daily roundtrip flight to...

The state Board of Public Works approved yesterday $2.1 million in additional school construction money for Anne Arundel County to wrap up work at Glendale Elementary School in Glen Burnie. The county will use the money to demolish the old school building, and build parking lots and sports fields for the school, which opened in January. The board did not fund a $230,000 request for a gym at North County High School. The money was part of the final $50 million in school construction funds of Gov. Parris N. Glendening's eight-year term.

Despite the recession, Howard County got more additional state school construction money yesterday than any other Baltimore-area jurisdiction. The $4.5 million in added state money will replace local funding for several school projects, giving County Executive James N. Robey several new options, according to Raymond S. Wacks, the county budget director. He can reduce borrowing for the proposed $97.1 million capital budget, or he can pay for more projects, such as the postponed renovations to the Circuit Court building or the Blandair mansion.

WASHINGTON - U.S. construction spending rose in November for the second straight month as work increased on schools, highways and sewer systems, according to government figures released yesterday. Spending on construction rose a solid 0.8 percent during the month to an annual rate of $865.1 billion, the Commerce Department said. The November rise matched October's revised increase. "Favorable weather permitted construction activity to continue at a fast pace," said Steven Wood, chief economist at FinancialOxygen Inc. in Walnut Creek, Calif.