Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-01
lee Highway Plan
NEAR FULF5.I|LLMENT
Approval ofWestern Entrance
Over Memorial Bridge
Seen Tomorrow.

The dream Of the Lee Highway As
ISOLATION and its successor, the Ma
ticnal Boulevard Association, TO provide
an adequate western entrance to WASH
ington over the Arlington Memorial
Bridge Is on the brink of realization.
The Senate already has passed meas
ure which will legaliEe construction OF
3 miles of roadway through Federal
owned territory at the west end Of the
bridge and the measure will come be-
fore the House tomorrow. Its passage
either during the day or at tomorrow
nights session of the House is predicted
by DR.. S. M johnson, director of the
National Boulevard Association, the or
ganiZation behind the movement to Sc
cure right of way through the Gov
ernment-owned property to connec-
ton with a roadway to be built by the
State Of Virginia to tie in near Falls
Church with the present Lee Highway,
the western route through Virginia
over the Blue Ridge and Massanutten
Mountains into the Valley Of Virginia.
Eight miles OF this road remain to
be completed, and only that strip be-
tween high-water mark .lon the west
bank of the Potomac and Station lot,
an engineering point near Fort Myer,
remains to be authorized. If the House
passes the enabling measure, it will APP
propriate $4,000 to complete the
2-mile strip of roadway. The remain
ing 6 miles between Fort Buffalo and
Station lot will be built. by the State
Of Virginia The land for a 200-foot
right of way between Station lot and
Fort Buffalo already has been made
available to the State by the National
Boulevard Association.
1921 Traffic jam Recalled.
sunless this road is built before the
washington Bicentennial Celebration
starts in Washington year hence, we
shall see such a trafic jam as has never
before been witnessed in the history Of
the world" DR.. johnson said yesterday.
eOf what use is great bridge without
an adequate approach to it? If we be-
lieve that 10000 automobiles will
come to washington In 1892, can we
do otherwise thar provide an adequate
approach for them from the west?"
DR.. Johnson recalled the traffic jam
in 1921 when President Harding went
to dedicate the Tomb of the Unknown
Soldier and was held up for more than
three hours from returning to the White
House, finally returning by way Of
Chain Bridge.
hQOu1G N6IuOn bOuiSHhIQ uOCS
not bisect the area" he said. at runs
along the west shore of the Potomac
and along the eastern boundary of the
area. It does not and no road at pres
ent does furnish an adequate approach
TO the Arlington Bridge from the west.
Congress has asked the entire United
States to visit Washington durign 1892.
We must provide an adequate approach
or we shall be the laughing stock Of
the Nation"
The story Of the securing Of title to
the property in nearby Virginia and of
the steps that have led up to securing
of the right Of way through Federal
property in Fort Myer is one of per-
severance. At the outset the National
Boulevard Association, having obtained
more than 100000 worth Of right. of
way through private property from Fort
Buffalo to Station lot, and having
made known its willingness to deed It
70 the State Of Virginia for road pur-
poses, struck a snag i'm the circum-
scribed area Of Fort Myer, q most. i'm
portant military post, which needs room
for expansion. A series OF conferences
between DR.. johnson andt Secretary Of
War Hurley followed, and q COM
promise arrangement was made by
which the association would get the
right of way through approximately 8
acres Of land owned by the Govern
ment In. the. area of Fort Myer and
would deed to the Government in re-
turn q similar acreage on the west and
northwest sides Of the fort. This
agreement now awaits the signature OF
Secretary Hurley.
20O-FoOt Right Of Way.
The Smile strip between the Airing
ton Bridge and Fort Buffalo viii be
constructed Immediately the money be-
comes available, and viii ultimately be-
come a wide roadway with 200-foot
right Of way. Within the next year, IL
the bill passes the House, o 40-mile
roadway win be constructed to connect
with the Lee Highway near Falls Church
and eventually tie up with the newly
constructed road to Warrenton and
through the Blue Ridge.
A major part of the cost OF con-
struction of the 2-mile strip over
which there has been contention will
be separation of grades 20 interesting
highways will not cut down the speed
Of motorists travelling on the main
roadway.