Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-01
KEY BRIDGE PLAN
TO Be GIVEN STUDY
Fine Arts Body. Considers
Identification Of Both Ap-
proaches Soon.

= . Z
Plans for the treatment Of the
approaches from Georgetown and
Rosslyn to the Key Bridge, tieing in
with the general scheme for park
way from the western end OF Vir-
ginia avenue to the junction of the
Key Bridge with M street. and the
project for a broad boulevard con-
Meeting the west end of the Arlington
Memorial Bridge through Rosslyn,
with the Virginia end OF the Key
Bridge, are TO receive the early con-
sideration Of the Commission of Fine
Arts.
While the need of another traffic
artery through Georgetown to the
Key Bridge to relieve the present
heavy congestion on NJ street. is
thoroughly understood and appre.
ciated by the commission, the Fine
Arts body so far has only considered
construction OF such road In con-
nectfon with other improvements at
the western end of Pennsylvania
avenue. With the work being done by
the Rock Creek and Potomac Park
way Commission on a highway from
Potomac Park to connect up with
Rock Greek Park, members of the
Fine Arts Commission believe the
time Is now ripe for inaugurating a
move to provide boulevard near
the Chesape & Ohio Canal, i'm.
prove both the east and west ends of
the Key Bridge and continue the de-
velopment through Rosslyn to the
west end of the Arlington Memorial
Bridge.
Commission Visited ROsslyn.
Last February the entire commits
sion visited ROsslyn and went over
the proposed connecting road between
the site of the eastern end of the
Arlington Bridge and the west end Of
the Key Bridge. Members were agreed
at that time that Rosslyn should be
cleaned up, and the present "un-
slightly" condition improved. At the
same time the suggestion was made
that the west end of the Key Bridge
be improved by establishing a plaza
and parkway area in Rosslyn.
These plans were laid before the
Arlington County Civic Federation,
and a committee of the federation was
appointed to inquire into the situa-
ton, with a view to Improvement
This committee has not yet reported
TO the Fine Arts body, but is working
on the project and will soon make a
report.
Plans Striking Approach.
The commission views the entire
Arlington County project from the
Key Bridge to the Arlington Bridge as
an exceptional opportunity to treat
that section of the county in a man
ner that will create an unusually
striking western approach to Wash
ington and at the same time bring
eastern Arlington County in line with
the developments in Potomac Park
and the proposed Rock Creek-Po-
tomac Parkway and the newer prof.
ect of roadway from Rock Greek to
the Key Bridge.
The Arlington experimental farm is
to be moved from it's present location
TO another spot to permit proper treat.
ment of the west end of the Arlington
Bridge and construction of driveways
at the eastern end OF the Lee High
way and a road connecting the two
| bridges. Another road Will run along
the approximate line of the present
| Military road from the west end OF
the Arlington Bridge TO the west end
of the Highway Bridge.
Grade Presents Problem.
Just what will he done with the
Georgetown end of the Key Bridge
has not been decided, but II the plan
for lower roadway paralleling the
canal is carried through some way
will have to be found to negotiate the
grade from the canal up to the Key
Bridge. and distribute traffic at the
east end of the bridge without inter
fering with the present flow of traffic
from the heavily populated Arlington
country into Virginia
NJ street was widened last year to
accommodate greater traffic through
Georgetown into Washington. but the
situation at about the same time was
aggravated by the fact that the NJ
street bridge over Rock Creek was de-
clared unfit for use by the Commits
sioners and was closed to traffic.
Plans for a new bridge over Rock
Greek are now being completed.