Evening star., 1927-03-23
STATE MAY SELECT
. OWN BRIDGE ROUTE
Virginia Highway Commits
sion Surveying Rights of
Way to New Span.
BY REX COLLIER.


RICHMOND, Va, March 23.-Pos-
sibility of the State Highway Commits
sion selecting its own route for high
way through Arlington County to the
new Memorial Bridge was predicted
in an interview here today by Henry
G.. Shirley, chairman OF the commits
sion.
Such a step might deprive both the
Lee Highway Associations sO-calied
"southerly route" for the Lee Boule-
ward and the Straight-to-the-B Bridge
Organizations proposed direct ap-
proacb of any State aid in construc-
ton of these important roads.
The State Highway Commission, it
was pointed out, reserves the right of
having the final say as to where State
funds shall be expended and If a sur
vey now under way by commission
engineers discloses that neither the
southeriy nor the direct road warrants
State aid. third route to the bridge
will be laid out by the State, Mr..
Shirley declared.
Survey SOutherly Route.
State engineers have just completed
surveying the Lee Highway Associa.
u,
and the straight route is to be gone
over i'll the same way. Until both
surveys are completed. he explained.
no decision can be made as to neces-
sity for a third survey.
III such a special survey were found
advisable, he remarked, il would prob
ABLY traverse territory intermediate
between the southerly and direct
routes. He admitted that such a move
on the part of the State Highway Com
mission might satisfy neither the Lee
Highway Association nor the Straight.
to'the- Bridge body, but he stressed
the point that the State must decide
where it shall spend road funds i'm
Arlington County
FavOrs Building One Highway
We are convinced that the State
should build an appropriate highwav
10 tne magnincent new bridge" Mr..
ohlrley said but to ask it to build
Two is out of the question. Virginia
mas an obligation to fulfill, now that
the Federal Government is Iayino q
beautiful span across the Potomac tn
our doors. That obligation is to nro.
Vlde suitable access to the bridge We
certainly intend to do that. and we
are going to do it in such a wav as
to rebound to the benefit of the com.
monwealth in the best manner nos.
sible" Po"
The highway chairman referred N
the recent action of the Virginia Park
and Planning Commission i'm recorn.
mendlng construction of both the
southerly and the straight roads to
the bridge, and said any suggestion
that the State would aid both roads
was without foundation in fact.
Would Hit Both Projects.
The Lee Highway Association has
been beseeching the State Highway
Commission to take over at least a !
strip of the 200-foot right .of.wav
winch 1t has projected through unde. |
veloped territory from the bridge to
rails Church. So have proponents
of the route through Clarendon |
Bailston and other thicl1ly populated |
sections. A decision by the commits
sion to build it's own road in neither |
OF these locations would be a severe |
blow to both parties |
Chairman Shirley also announced |
that the widening and straiehtenino
OF the present Lee Highway between |
Cherrydale and the Key Bridge will |
be carried out Just as soon as money |
IS available" He said that engineers |
now are working on plans for this |
work, which he regards as highly es.
sential to public safety The plans |
call for reconstruction of the highway |
so as to permit of the convenient |
passage of three cars abreast.