Letter – Sleepless over County Road 42

Talk about it

To the editor:

It’s 3:30 a.m. and I can’t sleep thinking about County Road 42. I am in my 70s, never written an editorial, live two counties away and it shouldn’t be any of my business. Yet, it really bugs me. Yes, I should have written this a year ago. When we come to Alexandria, traveling on County Road 42 is always a treat.

Let me tell you the story of Highway 15, running between Frederick, Maryland and Leesburg, Virginia. The Maryland portion of the highway was straightened, widened and leveled years ago. It has wide shoulders, clear sight lines and is level and smooth. At the Virginia state line, the road changes. It’s narrow, canopied with trees and the corners are so narrow that if a car and truck meet, it’s white-knuckle time. The hedge apple and sycamore trees grow right up to the roadway. The road passes between a barn and a house in one place. The road curves, undulates and the small hills make tummy ticklers. It reminds me of County Road 42.

Highway 15 in Virginia is so bad from a safety point of view I’m sure their highway engineers shudder to think about it. That’s like County Road 42. Safety? Here’s the irony: it’s so bad – it’s safe! There just aren’t many accidents along the Virginia portion of Highway 15. Highway 15 in Maryland is another story. It’s like a blood bath! It’s turned into a dangerous road with many accidents.

We lived in Frederick, Maryland for 13 years. I drove a semi truck and sometimes made several trips a day over it.

I sincerely feel that you are going to change County Road 42 and make it more unsafe. You will also ruin its character while foolishly wasting money.

Now maybe I can sleep.

Wayne Aspengren

Wadena, MN

Tags: wayne aspengren, opinion, letter, editor