Evening star., 1933-07-29
ARTS COMMISSION
REJECTS PLAN FOR
| NEW STEEL BRIDGE
Calvert Street Span Must Be
of Masonry and Of Mth-
tPse-Arch pssign.
NEXT STEP IS IN HANDS
OF; HEADS OF DISTINCT
Other Proposed Municipal Projects
Passed Upon at Mseting 4
Arts Group. e

The next step In the 16-year-old
controversy over plans for the proposed
new Calvert Street Bridge over Rock
Greek Is up to the District Commits
sioners. The Fine Arts Commission,
authorized by law to pass on the de-
sign, having decreed that the structure
shall be "of masonry with multiple
arches, designed in harmony with the
Connecticut Avenue Bridge"
The Fine Arts Commission definitely
turned down the single arch steel de-
sign advocated by Maj. John C. Got
walls. Engineer Commissioner. It ap-
parently was in complete sympathy
with views expressed by representatives
Of the Federation of Citizens Associa-
ton. the Board Of Trade and by George
Oakley Totten, local architect, that a
steel bridge at this location not only
was less desirable in every way than q
masonry or stone structure. but also
would be completely out Of harmony
with the Taft Bridge
The commission accompanied its de-
cision with a statement In which it
said 1t would be pleased to consider
such designs as may be submitted by
the Commissioners Of the District of
Columbia along the lines indicated"
Maj. Gotwals and the other Commits
sioners attended the hearing and joint
meeting at which the proposed steel
design for the Calvert Street Bridge
was rejected: The Engineer Commis-
sioner MADE no comment on the de-
cision and it Is not known at this
time what the District Commissioners
intend to do in the matter.
Must Agree on Plans.
Senator King Of Utah, chairman Of
the Senate District Committee, also
present. made 1t clear that appropria-
tions for the new bridge would not be
made available out of the District gaso-
line tax surplus fund until accord had
been reached on the design.
The statement of the Fine Arts Com
mission continued:
THE commission recognized the op-
portunity to develop tn connection with
the Connecticut Avenue Bridge, q COM
position Of the first order The two
bridges have intimate reciprocal rela-
tionS and should have a common bridge
head at Connecticut avenue. Each Is
seen from the other over q COMPARE
lively short distance. The Connecticut
Avenue Bridge IN its general character
and outlines has won universal ap-
proval through the decades since It was
built"
Appearing before the joint session. at
tended also by members Of the Nationai
Capital Park and Planning Commission,
were George E. Sullivan. for the Fed
Grafton of Citizens Associations: Robert
J. Cottrell, secretary Of the Board OF
Trade. and Mr.. Totten. who had sub
mitted back in 1917 the original design
for a multiple arch structure Of ma
sonry.
Totten said: Mai Gotwals questions
the durability of concrete The ma
sonry bridges built by the Romans 1000
years ago are still serviceable II ne
had looked into the durability Of RomaL
concrete, as compared with ours today,
he would have found that the longer it
stands the more durable 1t becomes"
The architect said his plan for the
bridge would cost s1,115,000, or $4,000
more than the steel bridge. Further
more, he said. his plan would represent
saving to the government Of $50 900,
because it would not involve construc-
tion of temporary bridge, as planned
in the steel project.
In his statement urging masonry or
stone structure, Sullivan said that the
"so-called new M street steel bridge" 20
years old, has developed serious crack.
The Commissioners, he said, have Or
dered that no dynamiting be permitted
in the vicinity for this reason.
The Fine Arts Commission yester-
day afternoon considered a numbag 3,
city Improvements and projects. Meet
ing with the Park and Planning Com.
mission, it approved the widening of E
street back of the Sherman statue and
the opening of the street through to
Seventeenth street. A width of 80
feet is proposed between Fifteenth
street to the point directly south Of the
White House The new section from
this point to Seventeenth street would
be 40 feet wide. Trucks will be
barred.
The two groups also took up The
question involved in the proposed 3oca-
ton of the Church of the Refor1na-
ton, on East Capitol street, between
Second and Third streets northeast.
The architect had reported plans to
establish new building lines on East
Capitol street to provide width of u
feet The church architect objects be-
cause it would require moving the
building back 18 feet on a 94-foot
frontage, changing the plans for the
structure. The Fine Arts Commission
feels that the new Folger Shakes
pearean Library establishes q new
building line on East Capitol street.
The link between the Lee Boule-
ward and the Arlington Memorial
Bridge was another matter under con-
sideration. A new plan was offered
instead Of the northern route original
ly suggested. This would carry the
route even further north of Arlington
Cemetery and Fort Myer, avoiding the
steep grade on the original northern
route. Virginia authorities are fur
ther considering the problem, legisia-
tive action being required.