Leopold: DOD Should Pay for Road Upgrades Near Fort Meade

Citing concern over the traffic impact of expansion at Fort Meade, Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold has asked Congress to approve a measure that would allow the federal government to use military appropriations for local road improvements.

In a letter to Maryland’s Congressional delegation, Leopold urged support for portions of the house version of the FY 2012 Defense Authorization Act.  Provisions in that bill give authority to the Department of Defense (DOD) to mitigate local road impacts from base expansions; and includes a distinct budget line of $40 million.

However, those provisions are not in the Senate version of that bill, which only calls for DOD to pay for road improvements around a base if traffic is expected to double.

Leopold said that recent base realignment and closure (BRAC) activities, as well as expected growth at the National Security Agency as U.S. Cyber Command “has placed severe demands on the transportation infrastructure surrounding Fort George G. Meade.”  He noted that only $60 million of the required $1.1 billion needed for infrastructure improvements near Fort Meade are funded.

“Additional federal assistance to meet the transportation challenges posed by the continued mission growth at Fort George G. Meade is absolutely necessary and is very important to the economy and interest of the citizens and businesses of Anne Arundel County, our state and our country,” Leopold said.