Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17
DRIVEWAY AWAITS
ADDITIONAL FUNDS
Rock Creek-PotomaC Park
Through Traffic Route
Held Up.

Plans have been formulated by the
Office of Public Buildings and Pubic
Parks for the opening up of Rock
Creek and Potomac parkWays from
The Connecticut Avenue Bridge to Pc
tomac Park to provide through
traffic route from the area on both
sides OF Rock Creek Park TO the down
town section. and they have to some
extent been carried out
The project is being held mp Ky the
lack Of money with which to rur"hhSe
1868 acres needed for making this a
thoroughfare. However. the House
has approved the use of the $500 900
from the surplus District funds in the
United states Treasury for park use.
and If the Senate agrees to the apprn-
nriation the purchase and Condemna-
lion proceedings will be pushed for
ward and work on the Improvement
of the project will follow closely.
100000 More Needed.
It IS estimated about $500 900 more
Will be needed for the construction Of
a through roadway which would ma
terially relieve the city streets of
through traffic. it was said. This
fund also includes the amount neceS-
Sary for the tunneling of MasSachu-
sets avenue, where Rock Creek park
way cuts 1t. At the present time
however. there Is bride path
through this parkway from the
terminus Of the present Rock Creek
Park down TO Potomac parkway. and
The proposed road would parallel this.
With the $4,000 available this year
the roadway was begun at the ca
thedral avenue end near the Con
necticut Avenue Bridge. and the sub
grade for the road laid out. Also
some of the money was used in clean
Ing up the accumulation of years Of
debris in the valley of the creek, and
making way for the road builders to
follow
With the 5000. 900 and small
amount already in the hands OF the
Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway
Commission available. the commits
sion Will Immediately start condem
nation proceedings. through the At
torney General OF the United States,
against A parcels of land. including
the property OF the Washington Rail
way and Electric Company on p
street, west of the = street bridge
over Rock Creek. 1t is estimated
that s293.000 will cover the cost of
getting the land under these pro-
Ceedings.
Owners Ready to Sell.
The owners are ready and willing
to sell at the price negotiated for.
TWO pieces of land at a cost of $685.
$40. In addition to these there are
"a pracels of land, estimated to cost
$l55.160S7 for which no offers are
pending, and for which negotiations
will have to be started.
1t is estimated that it will require
about a year to clean up this land
purchasing, but in the meantime the
road work and improvement can pro-
coed up to the points where it il
blocked by these pieces of private
lands. The subgrade of the proposed
roadway, a low level roadway near
the creek, has been completed to Mas
sachusetts avenue, at the point where
it is proposed TO dig a tunnel to per
init traffic to go under this roadway
There is in the estimates this year an
item Of $4,000 for completing the
roadway to this point. 1t will be a
3O-foot roadway, capable of handling
heavy traffic from the northwest sec
ton adjoining the park to the down
town section.
The parkway as a whole contains
100 acres, of which 1872 acres, or
92.12 per cent. already have been pur-
chased and titles transferred to the
United States.
Initial Work Being Done.
A small permanent force now is
being maintained in the area to
carry on the cleaning up work and
make preparations for the -hole con-
struction as soon as the necessary
funds are provided.
While the first thing that will be
done will be to complete the roadway
at low level through the parkway so
as 10 make it available as a connect
ing link between Rock Creek and Pc
tomac Parks, for traffic purposes.
nevertheless other elaborate plans
have been created for developing this
and model has been prepared. After
the work Of the low-level roadway is
completed and the park is in good
shape. efforts will be made to get ap-
preparations for building two high
level roadways along the rims on
either side of the valley. thus in the
end providing three roadways. But
these are matters for future treat.
ment and those in charge Of this
parkway are anxious to get the money
10 purchase the lands and clean nm
this project in its entirety so that the
Improvement work may go ahead I'M
hammered