Route 450

Senior Star Showcase. Essex Community College. Needed are singers and dancers, ages 50 and up, for two main stage productions and touring shows. Rehearsals are 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays. Call for audition dates and times, 410-780-6535.Handel Choir of Baltimore. Limited openings in all sections for experienced singers for the 1998-1999 season. Full choir of 75 rehearses from 7: 45 p.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays, September through May. A smaller chamber choir rehearses Sunday evenings. Singers must be able to read music and commit fully to the rehearsal schedule.

A Gaithersburg man was in fair condition yesterday after he lost control of his motorcycle on Route 450 just outside of Crofton on Saturday and rammed into a tree, emergency officials said.Tom Proctor, 43, of the 200 block of Hudson St. was westbound on Route 450 near Route 424 just after noon when he lost control of his motorcycle.The bike slid into a guardrail on the shoulder of the road, and Proctor was thrown over his handlebars into a tree, according to J. Gary Sheckells, a county EMS/Fire/Rescue spokesman.

Boy using barbell dies when it pins himAn 11-year-old boy who was home from school yesterday because of illness died when a barbell he was lifting fell and pinned his body to a weight-lifting bench, county police said.Police said Nathan Paul Yetter, of the 8400 block of Piney Orchard Parkway, was exercising in the basement when the accident occurred. It was not known if the barbell fell on his neck or chest.The boy was found unconscious by his parents, the Rev. Timothy L. Yetter, and his wife, when they arrived home about noon.

Crews will begin work in August on a $2.3 million project to widen the section of Route 3 that runs through Crofton, about the same time work is to be completed on an adjoining section in Prince George's County, state highway officials said last night.State Highway Administration District Engineer Paul Armstrong told the Crofton Civic Association board that the project, combined with two others to widen the highway from four to six lanes, should help relieve traffic congestion.Road crews are scheduled to complete in August a $2.7 million project that widened Route 3 to six lanes between the northern Route 450 interchange in Anne Arundel County and the southern route 450 interchange in Prince George's.

Lanes closing for roadworkThe State Highway Administration has started to close single lanes along Route 3 near Route 450 in Crofton from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. weekdays while crews work to upgrade the road.Work includes widening the two-lane roadway to provide three lanes in each direction and constructing triple left-turn lanes from both approaches along Route 450 and Route 3. The $2.7 million project will be complete next summer.

Lanes closing for road wideningThe State Highway Administration has started to close single lanes along Route 3 near Route 450 in Crofton from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. weekdays while work crews upgrade the road.Work includes widening the two-lane roadway to provide three lanes in each direction and constructing triple left-turn lanes from both approaches along Route 450 and Route 3. The $2.7 million project will be complete next summer.

A 23-month-old Gambrills boy was critically injured yesterday when the Suzuki Sidekick his mother was driving skidded on ice and careened into a tree on Route 450, county police said.Francis Granito, who lives on Branchwood Terrace, was flown by MedEvac helicopter to the D.C. Children's Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition, said Officer Terry Crowe, a spokesman for the Anne Arundel County Police Department.The child sustained head injuries when the car crashed into the tree.

The weekend's warm weather brought people out in their yards and meant a good turnout for the final Crofton Athletic Council spring sports registration session.However, if the sunny skies encouraged you to head for the great outdoors beyond the neighborhood and you missed the sign-up, don't fret. All you need to do is stop by Crofton Town Hall or head over to the Crofton Library and pick up a registration form.For more information, call 261-0196.*Congratulations to Crofton resident Roger L. Neal, who has been selected to lead the 148 volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians of the Arundel Volunteer Fire Department.

In the past, concerns about wetlands halted plans for a western bypass around Route 3 in Crofton, but state highway officials are reviewing an alternative that may be more acceptable to state and federal environmental agencies.The proposed alignment would swing 2,000 to 3,000 feet west of the old route, halving the number of wetland acres that would be damaged, says Robert Scott, president of the Greater Crofton Council."It's one of these things where you've got to get a proper balance between the needs of people and the needs of nature," says Mr. Scott, whose community association represents several areas within the Crofton ZIP code but outside the Crofton special tax district.

State Highway Administration officials are seeking to ban certain large trucks from Routes 424 and 450 through Crofton during daylight.SHA officials met Tuesday night at Crofton Middle School with representatives of local civic associations, county and state police and a group called Citizens Against Truck Traffic on 424.During the meeting, Ed Meehan, the SHA district engineer, agreed to recommend the daytime ban to his bosses.The measure would bar trucks weighing more than 26,000 pounds from Route 424 between Route 3 and Rossback Road, and from Route 450 between Route 3 and Route 424. Trucks making local pickups or deliveries would be exempted.

On August 1, 2009, MARY FREDERICK; beloved wife of the late Edwin B. Frederick; devoted mother of Carol L. Hupp and Jane F. Doughty (Timothy). Also survived by three grandchildren, Gary, David, and Denise; five great-grandchildren, Anthony, Christopher, Bryan, Kayla, and Zach; three sisters, Berkeley Thompson, Doris Flack, and Betty Beck. Relatives and friends may call at the Robert E. Evans Funeral Home, Route 450 and Racetrack Road, Maryland on Wednesday, August 5 from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 PM, where funeral services will be held on Thursday at 10 AM. Interment at Maryland Veterans Cemetery, Crownsville, MD. Memorial contributions may be made to the Heartland Hospice Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 10086, Toledo, OH, 43699.

Route 450 closing, detour announced The State Highway Administration will close a section of Route 450, also called Defense Highway, to through traffic between Crofton and Annapolis this month to replace the bridge over Bacon Ridge Branch at the headwaters of the South River. Next week, detour signs will be posted advising motorists of the closure. After schools are dismissed for the summer, the roadway will be closed between Rutland Road and the Ridges Gateway. Motorists will be detoured to Route 424 (Davidsonville Road)

On May 15, 2006, PETER P. FARMER of Odenton, MD; beloved husband of Shirley Rose Farmer; devoted father of David C. Farmer, Peter A. Farmer, Diane T. Bolin (Rick), Susan E. Clark (Frank), and Roseann P. Powell (Neil). Also adored by eight grandchildren. Relatives and friends may call at the Robert E. Evans Funeral Home, Route 450 and Racetrack Road, on Sunday, May 21, from 1 P.M. until time of service at 4 P.M. Interment services on Thursday, May 25, 11:30 A.M. at Maryland Veterans Cemetery, Crownsville, MD.

A two-mile portion of Route 450 near Crofton will be closed for about two weeks, starting as early as Saturday, to perform drainage work that will reduce the threat of flooding, state highway officials said. Crews will replace metal pipes with concrete pipes along Route 450, between Route 424 and Huntwood Drive. The work is part of a $2.2 million drainage project that started in October and is expected to be completed in January. Local and residential traffic will have access through the area, state officials said.

A selection of road advisories for the Baltimore metro region. Anne Arundel County 1) Bay Bridge Westbound: Center lane blocked for long-term construction; second lane closed 7 p.m. Sundays to 5 a.m. Mondays and entire span 10 p.m. Sundays to 5 a.m. Mondays; second lane closed 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. and full span 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday through Friday; second lane closed 8 p.m. Saturdays and entire span 9 p.m. Saturdays to 7 a.m. Sundays. Eastbound: Weather and traffic conditions permitting, the eastbound span may carry two-way traffic during weekday morning rush hours or other times of heavy westbound traffic.

Maryland officials are considering six possible designs for upgrading busy Route 3 in western Anne Arundel and northeastern Prince George's counties - a road where traffic is expected to increase 70 percent by 2025. Designs for the highway were displayed last week. The state is studying a 9-mile stretch of the highway from U.S. 50 to Route 32 and is seeking public comment. Officials have met with a 15-member focus group during planning. The proposals: Boulevard alternative: Includes three through lanes in each direction and auxiliary lanes or shoulders.

Maryland officials are considering six possible designs for upgrading busy Route 3 in western Anne Arundel and northeastern Prince George's counties - a road where traffic is expected to increase 70 percent by the year 2025. Designs for the highway, which range in complexity from no major changes to to a road with overpasses and bike lanes, were displayed last week by the State Highway Administration. The state is studying a nine-mile stretch of the highway from U.S. 50 to Route 32. The study represents the latest effort to address transportation needs on Route 3. The state looked at establishing an interstate connection between Baltimore, Washington and Annapolis in the early 1980s, but the idea was abandoned because of strong opposition from residents in Bowie and Crofton.

Maryland officials are considering six possible designs for upgrading busy Route 3 in western Anne Arundel and northeastern Prince George's counties - a road where traffic is expected to increase 70 percent by 2025. The proposals: Boulevard alternative: Includes three through lanes in each direction and auxiliary lanes or shoulders. An overpass would connect Route 450. Main-line improvements: Addition of a third through lane northbound from St. Stephens Church Road to Route 32 and southbound from Route 450 to U.S. 50. Separate traffic on Routes 3 and 450. Overpass at Crawford Boulevard.

Rouse Co. has opened its Model Home Park at Fairwood in Prince George's County. The Model Home Park includes seven single-family homes by Allan Homes, Goodier Builders, Mid-Atlantic Builders, Patriot Homes, Nu-Homes, Ryland Homes and the Williamsburg Group. Fairwood is off Route 450 at Fairwood Parkway, near Route 193 at Holmehurst. The 1,000-acre site was formerly the Fairwood Turf Farm.

CALLS ARE GOING OUT for support of three worthy undertakings - a new hospital, financially strapped students and a young fellow of 9 months. The Auxiliary of Anne Arundel Medical Center is staging its Designer Show House through Sunday. The house is Pleasant Plains Farm, a restored 1830s plantation in St. Margaret's. Barbara Burns and Marcia Lopata are co-chairwomen of the event, which will benefit the new hospital under construction on Jennifer Road. Tickets are $15 at the door. "It really is a beautiful house, a restoration that is almost beyond belief," Burns said of Pleasant Plains.