Evening star., 1928-06-10
In the Motor World
BY q. ADAMS HOWARD.

! Highway Bridge, which is to start
within the next 10 days, will
cause great inconvenience to traf-
tic. The work is expected to take
about four months, and during
this period only one side of the
roadway will be open to traffic at
! a time. Congestion, therefore, Is
inevitable, but highway officials of
the District hope to keep 1t to a
minimum by having traffic officers
stationed at various points across
the long river span.
The present bridge flooring will
be removed completely and the
existing buckle plates will be re-
placed with steel beams and lanl :
mated wood. A new asphalt sur
face viii be placed on the wood.
A fund of $4,000 is carried in
the appropriation act for the COLL
ing fiscal year for this work, but
bids opened recently by the Dis
trict highway department in6i-
cate that at least $25, 600 of this
amount probably will be saved
While on the subject of bridges
it is gratifying to learn from
Capt, Fl. c. WhitehurSt. Assistant
Engineer Commissioner of the
District, that the new abutment
on the Virginia side of Chain
Bridge will be completed soon,
Progress on the work was delayed
for about 10 days by the high
water early in May. and without
additional unexpected delays Caut.
Whitehurst announces that the
hridpe will be ready to reopen to
traffic early in July.
Closed Since Last July.
The bridge has been closed since
last July, when it was feared that
the age weakened and deteriora:-
ed abutment might toppie into The
Potomac. It's reopening will &c
welcome news, particularly to the
Virginia residents in its vicinity
who have been forced for almost
a year now to travel many useless
miles over a much longer route to
get into Washington and return,
the major portion of the journey
being over a traffic crowded, mar
row, dangerous and corrugated
road-the Lee Highway. Incl
dentally. the Virginia State High
way Commission promised faith
fully last Fall to widen and re-
surface this road between RoSSlyn
and Cherrydale this Spring Ac-
tivitieS in this direction are yet 20
be observed.
Now that the traffic department
has finished the major portion OF
its work in connection with the
automatic signal program, It's at
tention has turned toward the re-
newal of automobile drivers per-
nits.
While the actual renewal will
not start until July, 1929, there are
a number of preliminary details
to work out in advance, chiefly the
adoption of a system that will
facilitate the issuance of the new
cards.
In his estimates for the 1929
1890 fiscal year, submitted 10 tho
Commissioners last week, Traffic
Director Harland included an item
for the organization of a special
force of clerical assistants to
handle this work. These addi-
tional employees will not be put
70 work. however. until the early
-77rs of the Summer of 1929
The two-hour restriction I'm
marking on M street between Rock
Greek and Thirty-sixth streets
md on Wisconsin Avenue between
n and P streets. to become effec-
i've this week. will. traffic author
ties believe. greatly alleviate con-
reStion in Georgetown's business
district. The congestion has been
particularly trying In the last sew
1ral months to the motorists who
travel M street every day. due 10
the influx of formers from Vir-
2inia who do their shopping in
GEORGETOWN.
A more radical plan for remedy
'ng the congestion had been under
~~'7eido-af'aJ1 hv the Commission
a-s "nd the Police DEPARTMENT.
h'It ii was discarded in fnvor nj
Unite tim on marking. IT called
FOR soolitinn Of aIl ncrking during
the morning and afternoon rush
hours - on the south side Of M
street in the morning and on the
north side in the afternoon.
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