Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-07
Treatment of Key Bridge Ap.
preach in Georgetown
Among Suggestions.
WOULD DRAIN CANAL
AND RAzE OLD BRIDGE
New Jersey Chapter Of American
Architects Provide Sketch
of Tentative Changes.


program in Washington now well under
way and President Hoover and other
Government officials urging the neces-
sity Of further appropriations for ex-
tension of these developments at an
early date, the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission has turned to
serious study of plans for imposing en-
frances to what is destined to be the
most lavishly developed capital in the
world.
The commission now has before it a
most OF ideas for treatment of the va
rious approaches to the National Cap
ital. obtained through cooperation of
member chapters of the American In
stitute of Architects. While the thought
Of adequately developed entrances to
the Capital is not new, ideas are being
crystallized and suggested plans re-
Vlsed as new conditions become factors.
Lieut.. Col. u. S. Grant, Sd, executive
omcer OF the commission, stated yester-
day that the many suggestions received
are being studied in the light of pres
ent conditions. Details of the matter
are being tackled by Charles w. Eliot,
the city planner, and other experts of
the commission. To date only plans for
the treatment of the northern portal
at the intersection of Sixteenth street
and the District line have been definitely
determined as the result of the COM
missions last meeting.
Suggestion Is Submitted.
Through the assistance of Horace w,
Peaslee, washington architect, who is
chairman of the committee on the Ma
tional Capital Of the American Insti-
tute of Architects, the New Jersey chap
ter has submitted a suggestion for the
treatment to be accorded the Washing
ton approach from the Key Bridge in
Georgetown. A tentative sketch has
been prepared, showing the proposed
lay out there, with the aid of Harry T.
Stephens and his New Jersey committee
Of architects.
In considering this. the architects
were requested tentatively to bear in
mind these possibilities: Quay Develop
ment of the water front below the
bridge, with elevated roadway for pleas
ure vehicles. This roadway might be
part Of the parkway connection between
Potomac Park and Potomac Drive, along
the Palisades to Great Falls.
Drainage of the canal and use of its
bed as a through route for heavy traf-
nc, such as trucks, passing under all
existing north-south streets. east of the
bridge, to a connection with K street
at Rock Greek.
Removal Of the old Aqueduct Bridge.
Development of Prospect street as a
through street, primarily for pleasure
trafic. It has been suggested that
Prospect street might be swung south
onto the roofs of new buildings oppo-
site the end Of the bridge to form a
plaza at an upper level.
A serious traffic problem now exists
at the bridgehead, due to the left-hand
turn involved for vehicles going from
Washington to Rosslyn, Va. 1t had
been suggested that circular ramps on
either side of the bridge might be pro-
vided to divert the heavy traffic coming
over the bridge into the new truckway
in the bed Of the canal.
Tentative Sketch Provided.
Accordingly, the architects of New
Jersey have been studying proposed
treatment of Key Bridge and have pro-
duced the tentative sketch of how the
area might look when finished. as one
Of the imposing entrances to Washing
ton.
The commission has under considera-
ton proposed treatment for the Com
modore Barney Circle, the Rhode Is
land avenue entrance, the Wisconsin
avenue entrance, the Massachusetts,
avenue entrance at its westerly ex-
tremity and the District line, and wher-
ever else it might be appropriate to es-
tablish pretentious gateways. The High
way Bridge problem is receiving atten-
ton from the commission also.
w. T. Partridge, the commissions
consulting architect, and T. C. LETTERS,
landscape architect, have just COM
pleted q proposed study for the crea-
ton Of a concourse at the high point
on Sixteenth street, near the Walter
Reed Hospital, just north OF Alaska
avenue. This is suggested as an addi-
tional treat for visitors entering the city
through the Sixteenth street portal.
The Philadelphia architects are lending
their aid in the development OF this
area.
Col. Grant explained that the plans
for all the entrances are in q nu1d
state" and that this program will not
necessarily mean that the entrances
will take the form Of arches, for foun-
tains or statuary might be considered
desirable after the whole program re-
ceives further study.
For Roosevelt Memorial.
It has been suggested that the pro-
posed memorial to Theodore Roosevelt
be located at the high point of Six
tenth street, and this plan is likewise
receiving consideration. The commits
sion has under Amusement also the pro-
posal to construct circle at the juno
ton of Massachusetts, and Nebraska
avenues, in which to place the proposed
memorial to Gen. Artemus Ward, Revo-
iutionary War hero.
Col Grant made It clear that much
further study is necessary in order that
Washington may become more and more
the city beautiful. The aid Of the
Maryland-National Capital Park and
Planning Commission is being secured
in in If
plans.