"When it comes to choosing, Corridor 1 is the best alignment to select," said Planning Board Chairman Derick P. Berlage. "Corridor 2 is not even remotely prudent as an alternative."

Commissioner Meredith K. Wellington was the only dissenting voice, voting against the ICC project altogether.

"I am taken aback by the stated purpose and need for this project," she said. "It's circular: it says 'we need a highway, therefore where can we build a highway?' No alternatives were considered."

The commission's advisory vote followed weeks of public testimony, and came after the State Highway Administration released an in-depth study: the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The DEIS examines the highway's effects on natural and human environments along the highway, which is designed to link Rockville to Interstate 95 or Route 1.

East of Georgia Avenue (Route 97), the highway could follow either of two alignments. The Corridor 1 alignment, also known as the Master Plan alignment, has long appeared on long-term planning documents -- it would take a southern route and connect to Route 29 between Briggs Chaney Road and Fairland Road. The Corridor 2 alignment is more recent, does not appear on area master plans, and takes a northerly route through Spencerville and Burtonsville.

Berlage stressed the advisory nature of the board's role: The board's decision counts as a guideline, but does not compel the Montgomery County Council or the SHA to follow its lead.

"This project can still go ahead at the county and state level even if we reject it," he said.

The County Council's vote, scheduled for March 1, is similarly advisory in nature. After the extended period of public feedback ends Feb. 25, the SHA will consider all testimony and will decide on a build or no-build option for the ICC some time in June.

Despite the overall support, the commissioners voiced misgivings, expressing concerns over environmental impacts, which include endangered breeding grounds for brown trout along Corridor 1, and potential hazards to the Rocky Gorge drinking water reservoir near Corridor 2.

"Building the ICC is one solution that is analytically not unreasonable," Commissioner John M. Robinson said. "It's not an ideal alignment -- it's a compromise, but if I had to choose between the brown trout and the water supply, I'd reluctantly go for the Master Plan alignment. Although it galls me, I support the staff recommendation."

The brief period of public comment also gave the board concern, although the SHA has extended the deadline for testimony until Feb. 25. The physical size of the DEIS, some 1,400 pages, requires members of the public to access it on the Internet, or visit SHA centers to view the printed copy. Commissioner Wendy S. Perdue feared this limited the document's accessibility.

"I am troubled by the testimony of citizens who had difficulty getting copies of the DEIS to view," she said.

Other board members expressed hopes that mass transit alternatives would be considered, including the Bi-County Transitway, a proposed light rail system formerly known as the Purple Line.

"If you're looking at a time horizon of 30 to 50 years, [the ICC] doesn't make sense," Berlage said. "[The ICC budget] would pay for the Purple Line -- it would be a smarter way to spend on transit projects that actually create new ways to get around without automobiles."

The board voted to adopt all staff recommendations, including the proposal to retain portions of parkland hiker-biker trails along the highway's path. The original plan called for the inclusion of such a facility, but later revisions said it would be too costly and environmentally damaging.

"Previous plans for the ICC had included a paved hiker-biker trail along the entire 18-mile length," testified Eric Gilliland, executive director of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association. "... Current plans call for a disjointed, unpaved trail along only one-third of its length."

Characterizing the project as one that excludes cyclists and pedestrians, Gilliland questioned the SHA's reasoning that the trail would be expensive and environmentally damaging -- critiques that Perdue supported.

"It would be an outrage to go forward with the ICC and not go forward with a hiker-biker trail, on the grounds that it would be too expensive and have too great an environmental impact," she said. However, she also stressed that inclusion of such a trail would not necessarily mean it follows the exact route of the ICC, such as through underground tunnels. Additional recommendations involve stormwater management techniques to reduce environmental effects, and placing an ICC interchange east of Route 29 along Briggs Chaney Road.

However, Wellington remained skeptical, saying the report did not sufficiently address environmental impacts.

"The six-lane highway would have an impact on water resources, forest resources, protection areas, and noise concerns," she said. "... There are alternatives to racing a highway through the Northwest Branch and Paint Branch [watershed regions] -- they need to be explored."

To learn more:

ICC public comment period extended

The State Highway Administration will make the final determination on which corridor is built or whether an ICC will be built at all. The SHA will continue to accept public testimony until Feb. 25, in the form of written and online submissions. Send written comment to the Project Manager Wesley Mitchell at Mail Stop C-301, Project Planning Division, Maryland State Highway Administration, 707 North Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21202. Or visit www.iccstudy.org for information on submitting online testimony.