Evening star., 1934-01-07
.H|GH-LEVEL BRIDGE
NEAR LITTLE FALLS
ASKED BY DELAN0
Chain Span Replacement
Would Link New England
With South.
PLANNERS URGE STYLE
BE LEFT TO ENGINEERS
Appropriation of $4,000 for Pre-
liminary Study of Project
Will Be Sought.

an integral part Of a super highway be-
tween New England and the South and
to replace the present obsolete Chain
Bridge, yesterday was recommended to
the District Commissioners by Frederic
A. Delano, chairman of the National
Capital Park and Planning Comm;s-
sion.
The planners declined to estimate
the cost of the projected structure and
urged that the particular type of bridge
to be erected be determined after suit
able engineering and technical studies
are completed.
commission urging that the new high
level bridge be built upstream of the
present Chain Bridge, the letter did not
disclose the proposed new bridgehead
locations, the officials holding that Is
land-purchase matter and hence secrecy
Is desirable.
Congress will be asked to appropriate
$4,000, so that preliminary studies may
be made, it is understood. Some borings
were done by engineers in the locality
of the projected new high-level bridge.
when investigation was being mace
about six years ago to determine cne
availability of power sites, near Great
Falls. After the engineering and tech
nical studies have been completed, the
Planning Commission believes the Fine
Arts Commission should undertake
study of the desirable type OF structure.
Mr. Delano so advised DR.. Charles
Moore. chairman of the Fine Arts Com
mission, yesterday.
Road Link Cited.
Letters were likewise written by Mr..
Delano to Col. H G. Shirley. chairman
of the virginia State Highway Com
mission. at Richmond and to George
C. Shinn, chairman of the Committee
on Bridges of the Washington Boaro
of Trade, which has taken livery IN
terest in the subject
Mr. Delano's correspondents were
told the new high-level bridge would
duit road of the District side and Glebe
road and the Leesburg pike on the Vir-
einia side. The commission chairman
recalled that the Marva Highway
link in this section of the country OF
the superhighway between Maine ana
Florida-is proposed to follow the Co
lumbia pike, ny way Of Ellicott City,
Md. and on to Western avenue In the
National Capital The superhighway
would then cross the Potomac River at
the site Of the proposed high-level
bridge and thence. by Glebe. road, by
connection with the Lee Highway and
the Shenandoah Valley with the Rich
mond, Va, road and the South.
The new higk-level bridge might take
the form of q single span, masonry
arch, a multiple arch or suspension
structure, but the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission is not
prepared to take a definite stand on
this subject until the engineering infor-
nation is in nand. Some sponsors OF
the project see an opportunity OF Sc
curing funds for this If the Public
Works Administration is given more
money by this Congress.
Eliminates Grades.
Mr.. Delano asserted in his letter to
the District Commissioners that corR
struction Of the high-level bridge would
eliminate "the unusually steep grades
descending into the valley" The 10
cation, he pointed out, is "a natural
focal point in the District highway
plan, is easily accessible to the entire
northwest section by means Of Lough-
boro road and Nebraska avenue. and
also to other outlying sections by way
of the proposed Tilden street crosstown
major thoroughfare."
The Planning Commission holds the
high-level bridge would dovetail in
with the plans for the George Wash
ington Memorial Parkway, on both
sides of the Potomac River, from Great
Falls to Fort Washington. Md, and
Mount Vernon, Va. Mr.. Delano wrote
Within the District of Columbia it is
proposed to develop Potomac avenue
along the bluffs of the river as the 10
cal section of the parkway. an appro-
pirate connection with the Virginia
section being made possible by high
level crossing Moreover, the proposed
bridge will span the river at Little
Falls, enhancing the view of this scenic
attraction Of the Potomac gorge, and
extending the range Of view up and
down the valley by reason of the high
elevation of the crossing"
Discussing the talked-of plan for a
two-level bridge across the Potomac
River, to replace Chain Bridge Mr.
Delano asserted: "a two-level bridge
only conceivable at the present site tr
view Of the break in the bluffs on the
Virginia side, would not only have all
the objections Of the present low-leve
crossing, but also added difficulties fol
the upper roadway not obtained at the
proposed site"
Cost Is More.
While he did not mention probable
costs Of the high-level bridge, Mr.
Delano argued that while 1t will prob.
ably cost more than would rebuilding
at the present site, ut Is believed the
functions served fully justify considera'
ton Of an additional capital expendt-
ture," he said.
The commission yesterday made pub
| Lie report, prepared by ]. A. Ryder
it's engineer, in which he points out
that a double-deck bridge would re.
quire grade crossing of the Baltimore
g. Ohio Railroad in the eastern higf
level approach and ramps or othel
awkward connections to approaches or
the Virginia end
Mr.. Ryder declared: "The principa
objectives demanded by present traf
| fic conditions Of q new bridge in thil
vicinity may be considered as provi.
sion for q connection between higi
ground on either side of the Potomac
gorge and as a link in bypass around
Washington In q route between Balti'
more or other Northern metropolitan
centers and Richmond or other South
ern centers. The present bridge Is 10.
Gated on site which is primarily low
level. A new low-level bridge probably
should not have a floor elevation great
er than about so feet to effectively join
the low-level approaches. A more OF
less direct approach from Conduit road
down to this low level and underpass.
ing the railroad would have grade oi
8 or per cent. An approach from
Conduit road, with easy grades anc
overpassing the railroad, would require
a minimum bridge floor elevation o.
about lis or 120 feet. A bridge at thii
higher elevation would preclude direc
connection with Canal road and require