Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-19
0. X. SOUTH ROUTE
FORLEE HIGHWAY
No Discord Over Selection
viii Be CountenanCed,
Roberts Declares.
BY staff Correspondent of The Star.

LURAY, Va, January 10. So The
"southerly" route for the Lee boule-
ward between Washington and Falls
Church has been selected definitely by
the Lee Highway Association, upon
the advice of engineers of the Army
and the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission, and no discord
or controversy over the choice will be
countenanced, Henry Roberts, presi-
dent of the Lee Highway Association,
announced today at the associations
annual meeting here. No other route
will be considered, he declared.
Route Definitely Fixed.
The route through Arlington County
he declared is fixed and determined
for all time, and the association will
not recede from the stand it has taken
in opposition to the straight-to-the-
ward project through Arlington County
that will avoid the towns and miss CEN
ters of population.
w. S. Hoge Of Washington, chair
man of the right of way committee for
Lee Boulevard between Washington
and Newmarket, explained that the
boulevard will start at the west end
of the Arlington Memorial Bridge, go
Immediately north of Fort Myer and
continue from that point through I'M
developed territory south of C1aren-
don and Ballston to tie up at Paynes
Corner, at Falls Church, with the pres
ent Fairfax road.
Eighty-five per cent of the right of
way between Washington and War
rentor over which the 200-foot boule-
ward is to go distance of AZ miles has
been secured, although small portions
of the right of way in Arlington
County have not yet been pledged.
The Lee Highway Association will Sc
cure the entire right of way between
Warrenton and Washington without
cost, Mr.. Hoge predicted.
Another vitriolic attack on the adj
ministration of the Virginia State
Highway Department was made today
by Mr.. Roberts. Quoting from figures
that Virginia stands fifteenth in road
building in a list of sixteen Southern
States last year, Mr.. Roberts urged
that a two-year road-building pro-
gram, involving expenditure of $70,-
100000, to begin in 1929, be under
taken.
More Physical Resources.
Virginia has more physical re-
sources than North Carolina, but
North Carolina has more intellectual
resources than we have" Mr.. Roberts
said. That's the reason they are
ahead of US. The main effort of our
State Highway Commission seems to
be to hide the true facts from the
people. I hope for decentralization
of our highway department and the
allotment of work to district engi-
neers, without the hampering igno-
rance of the commission at Richmond,
Five.year road bonds, to be paid for
out of our gasoline and license taxes
in a sum sufficient to complete the
main road building program in
Virginia, would enable us to use our
roads as we pay for them" Mr..
Roberts estimated the total cost of
the Lee boulevard from Washington
to New Market at between $25,000,0 900
and $30,000,O00.
THE general route of Lee Boule.
ward is laid out definitely and finally"
he said. Wen get it much quicker If
controversy stops and we refuse to
listen to those who offer other sug-
gestions to replace the carefully work
ed out plans of the Army engineers"
DR.. F. NJ. Johnson of Washington
was reelected managing director of
the association at the meeting of the
board of directors this afternoon. Mr..
Roberts, who is known throughout
Virginia and Tennessee as Good
Roads Roberts, was reelected presi-
dent
So fast has the work progressed in
this dream Of national highway, DR..
Johnson said earlier in an address,
that since the Lee Highway Association
was organized seven years ago 1t is
now possible to travel over many
lengthy sections Of 1t in automobiles
and beat the best time of fast pas
senger trains. He said that Traffic Di-
rector M. 0. Eldridge of Washington,
then on the staff of the American
Automobile Association, was one of
those instrumental in arranging for
the route from Washington through
Warrenton and Luray.
Expects 100000 Soon.
Between Luray and Washington all
the work is standardized, DIR. johnson
said. 1t is expected soon to have a
half million dollars to spend on this
section of the road.
Phineas c. Stevens of New York
foresaw highway through Virginia
over which millions of persons would
travel every year, bringing wealth
and prosperity to that section of the
State through which the roadway
passes. He said automobile travel is
yet in its infancy, and declared that
although the automobile is practically
100 per cent perfect machine, road |
way development has failed to keep
pace with the mechanical development
of the machine.
The address of welcome was given
by F. w. Weaver, president of the |
Luray Chamber of Commerce.