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Despite cuts to public transportation routes and halting of road reconstruction, construction of the Inter County Connector continues unimpeded.

The ICC is a toll road linking Interstate 270 in Montgomery County with Interstate 95 in Prince George's County. It is expected to be completed by 2012.

State Sen. James C. Rosapepe (D-Dist. 21) of College Park questioned why the ICC and its $2.4 billion price tag is continuing full steam ahead amidst the surrounding economic recession and governmental cuts.

"The question is how much money would really be saved and could be used for other important projects if the ICC was stopped," he said. "We need to review it because it's a question many people are asking and it's a reasonable question."

Rosapepe said he is going to ask the State Legislature's fiscal staff to review the letter and get their reactions sometime this week.

"Obviously we're in very tough times, and with cuts to a variety of local transportation programs it's a reasonable question whether the ICC is one of those programs that can and should be cut," he said.

Laurel resident Barbara Sollner-Webb, one of the vice presidents of the West Laurel Civic Association and a longtime opponent of the ICC, said she was thrilled to hear that Rosapepe was questioning the ICC's progress.

"I can't believe it took him so long to come around because he's been such a bright and caring person," Sollner-Webb said. "I'm thrilled that he's coming around to reason. The ICC destroys Paint Branch Park, which is a fantastic watershed, encourages sprawl development, is incredibly noisy and puts more pollution to the schools. It's a 1960s solution to a 21st century issue."

Rosapepe said he wanted to know how much money would be saved and put toward mass transit and rebuilding Route 1 if work on the ICC were halted.

The Maryland Transit Administration announced several reductions in its commuter bus and train services last week, and funding for Route 1 improvement was slashed as part of $1.1 billion in budget cuts to transportation projects in September.

In a Dec. 22 letter sent to Rosapepe, Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary John D. Porcari wrote that if the ICC were halted, approximately $500 million already spent would be wasted, and the three contractors could file substantial cancellation claims equaling hundreds of millions of dollars.

Porcari also wrote that the ICC's financial plan is project-specific, so funds for and revenues generated by the project cannot be transferred to other needs.

E-mail Timmy Gelles at tgelles@gazette.net.