Roland E. Jones, Special Assistant to the Chairman
Carl L. Wannen, Comptroller

Joseph D. Buscher, Special Assistant Attorney General
108 E. Lexington Street, Baltimore 3 Telephone: Lexington 9-4370

The State Roads Commission was established in 1908 to take over
the highway survey functions of the Maryland Geological and Eco-
nomic Survey. The Commission consists of three members, appointed
by, and holding office at the pleasure of, the Governor. One of the
members must be a resident of the Eastern Shore, one a resident of
the Western Shore, and one either a resident of Baltimore City or a
person who at the time of his appointment, and for a period of at
least two years prior thereto, has continuously had his principal
place of business or employment or professional activity in Baltimore
City. At least one member must be affiliated with a leading political
party different from that to which the Governor belongs (Code 1951,
Art. 89B, sec. 1).

The State Roads Commission has jurisdiction over the construc-
tion, maintenance, and administration of the State highway system,
and in addition, maintains, constructs, or reconstructs the road sys-
tems of eight of the twenty-three counties of the State. The Com-
mission, within its jurisdiction, is responsible for making preliminary
studies and plans for the construction or reconstruction of the high-
ways and related appurtenances and performs the final review of
those plans and the field supervision and inspection of the construc-
tion; it acquires the necessary right-of-way and prepares all neces-
sary specifications, special provisions, advertisements for bids, con-
tract documents, agreements, etc. It also provides the necessary
resurfacing, drainage, traffic service, and snow removal for the
highways included in the State System.

Included in the organization of the Commission is a Traffic Divi-
sion, which makes traffic counts, traffic origin and destination studies,
and other investigations to determine the need for highway facilities
and the need for traffic service devices such as traffic signals and warn-
ing signs. This Division also prepares State and individual county
road maps. The Location Division makes preliminary and final
surveys and location studies. The Division of Road Design prepares
roadway plans, quantities, estimates, and related Special Provisions,
while the Bureau of Bridges performs similar engineering services
for structures on the various projects. The Bureau of Bridges also
maintains and inspects construction for all bridges on the State
highway system. The Materials Division tests all materials used in
the construction and maintenance of all highways and bridges. The
Right-of-Way Division acquires the rights-of-way necessary for
the modernization of existing: highways and bridges, as well as for
new highways and bridges. The Construction Division performs the
field supervision and inspection of construction for the highway proj-
ects, while the Maintenance Division performs a similar service in
supervising maintenance activities and projects performed with
prison labor.

Highway Review Committee

Ellsworth R. Roulette; Francis V. DuPont; Donaldson Brown;
William Purnell Hall, Jr.; Abel Wolman; Herbert Ryerson.
The members of the Highway Review Committee are appointed
by the Governor to consult with and advise the members of the
State Roads Commission in the planning of highway construction