Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-14
VIRGINIA PLEDGES
ROAD TO BRIDGE
Federal and State Officials
Study Arlington Ap-
proach Plans.
Continued From First Page.)


the Lee Highway Association and the
Straight-t to- the Bridge Association as to
which will be favored by the commits
sion will be laid aside. with the COM
bined effort of both organizations di-
rected toward the establishment of some
kind of highway connection with the
Virginia end of the bridge by next
March.
The Lee Highway Association, of
which w. j. Showalter is acting presi-
dent and DR.. Samuel M. Johnson di-
rector, is an advocate of the Lee boule-
ward route, which would deviate from
the towns between the bridge and a
point just south of Falls Church. The
other association, of which Arthur Orr
is president, wishes the first road con-
structed to run through and serve the
thickly populated sections of Clarendon,
BallSton and Falls Church.
Advantages Claimed.
The advantages pointed out by the
Lee boulevard group are that the mod
ern method of through traffic is around
the thickly populated sections, allow
ing them to reach the main thorough
fare by lateral routes. This prevents
the slowing up of traffic through the
densely settled sections, they claim. 1t
is also pointed out that in Clarendon
especially it would be impossible to con-
struct highway of any great width
without either moving or destroying the
present buildings along Wilson boule-
ward.
Taking another view of the situation.
the Straight-to Bridge Association
insists that the purpose of highway
is to serve the source of the greatest
vehicular traffic, hence the necessity for
carrying the highway through the towns
and thence to open country. It is not
their purpose, they claim, to cause the
permanent abandonment of the Lee
Boulevard construction, but to cause its
delay until the thickly populated Sec
lions of Arlington and Fairfax Coun-
ties have been served.
Both of these routes have been sur
veyed by the Virginia State Highway
Commission, and rights of way over
have as yet been provided, however, for
their construction, and since no alloca-
lions were made for work this year it
will be necessary for some unusual
measures to be taken in time to have
either completed by the time of the
opening of the bridge.
1t was originally planned by the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission to have the bridge finished
in 1881, but the progress made on the
project has been so much more rapid
than expected that Col. Grant now
thinks it may be opened to traffic in
March, 1880, leaving but Is months for
Virginia to provide approaches.
May Need Federal Aid.
While the bridge approaches and
highways have been discussed and
it was not until Col. Grants announce
ment that the proponents of the two
different highways realized that there
was so little time left in which to COM
plete the Virginia end of the work.
It is held probable that the commits
sions interested in the Virginia side of
the bridge may again have to appeal for
aid from the Federal Government, 1t has
been pointed out. This is in regard to
the Fort Myer reservation, through a
part of which 1t is planned to run the
Lee Boulevard, neceSSitating the grant,
ing of right of way If this route is
selected.
Gov. Byrd and members of the three
commissions were expected to make a
personal investigation of this phase of
Tie Case bOUdy Willie JIiCy arc Lildhlile q
tour of the territory affected by the
routing of the highways.
Today's meeting was arranged as a
result of statement made by Col.
Shirley to the effect that he had not
been consulted by the Federal Govern
ment as to what they wanted, indicating
that it was for this reason that no
funds were allocated for work this
year.
This situation was blamed in part
upon the Virginia Park and Planning
Commission, which, Col Shirley said,
had failed properly to function in that 1t
had not made arrangements for con-
structive meetings at which Col. Shir-
ley could have been present.