The Board of County Commissioners this week unveiled a short list of future road and transportation projects that the county views as top priorities for state funding.

The list, updated annually, comes in preparation for a meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 5, with Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary John Porcari.

The county's top priority for construction is the long-awaited reconstruction of Route 140 from Sullivan Road to Market Street, in Westminster.

Topping the list of priorities for engineering and right-of-way acquisition is the Route 26 (Liberty Road) corridor between Route 32 and Carroll Highlands Road, in Eldersburg.

The county has already contributed $1 million in funding toward the design and engineering of this project, which is envisioned to upgrade Liberty Road with medians, landscaping and other features. Until the engineering and right-of-way work is done, there's no projected construction date.

The commissioners have also set four priorities in the category of "project planning starts" -- essentially asking the state to begin planning for this long-range projects. They are:

*Reconstruction of Route 32 between Interstate 70 and Route 26, in Sykesville and Eldersburg.

*Relocation of Route 140 at Taneytown.

*Relocation of Route 30 (Hanover Pike) at Manchester -- also known as the Manchester Bypass, and

*Reconstruction of Route 26 between routes 32 and 97, in South Carroll.

Among these, the Manchester project has been on the list for years. The commissioners actually moved it down to the third priority, noting that while it's still needed, the state's fiscal situation makes other projects more likely.

Finally, the commissioners also presented four priority projects in the category of "Neighborhood Conservation." These tend to be smaller, more localized projects, and include:

*Improvements to Route 140 from the Baltimore County line to Kays Mill Road, near Finksburg.

*Revitalization of the New Windsor Main and High streets portion of Route 31.

*Revitalization of Route 30 where it serves as Hampstead's Main Street.

*A truck route study of sections of routes 75 and 77 in Union Bridge, Keymar and Detour.

The commissioners and representatives from the county's planning department will meet with MDOT Secretary Porcari and other state transportation officials at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5, in Room 003 in the County Office Building, 225 N. Center St., Westminster.

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