Evening star., 1934-03-18
Span Would Cross. River at
Filtration Plant Near
District Line.
HIGH-LEVEL STRUCTURE
FAVORED BY ENGINEERS
Virginia Approach Would Be
Just South of Arlington
Fairfax Boundary.

Arts Commission and the National
Capital Park and Planning Commits
sion for bridge to replace the present
obsolete Chain Bridge, members of the
Board of Trade yester-
day conducted group of District off,
cials and United States legislators on a
tour Of bridges in the Capital which
they considered in need of replace
ment.
The proposed new Chain Bridge
site, heretofore vaguely referred to as
approximately a quarter of q mile
above the present bridge" will have
its District approach on a line with
Norton street, which skirts the filtra-
ton plant near the District line in
Potomac Heights. It will span the
Potomac Valley SO as to pass directly
above the so-called Tail Run" link
ing up with the Jeesburg road Just
south Of the Arlington Fairfax County
line.
Government officials declare, how
ever, that the chosen site may be
subject to slight change, hinging upon
results of engineering studies, etc.
Other Plans
Maps prepared by the National
Capital Park and Planning Commits
sion reveal an ultimate plan to span
Pimmit Run at point in line with
the proposed new bridge, and link up
with the Lee Highway. The proposed
bridge plan also would tie in with the
contemplated Marva Highway, form
ing a bypass around Washington for
through traff1c-an integral part Of
the superhighway between New Eng
land and the South.
The bridge, it is proposed, would
be of the high-level type, but the
question of whether it will be a single
span, masonry arch, multiple arch
or suspension structure has not been
settled, pending an engineering study
for which the Board of Trade is ask
ing Congress to appropriate $4,000.
1t has also been proposed that the
new structure be built as a memorial
names of Thomas Jefferson and
Woodrow Wilson have been mem
toned in this connection.
The site revealed has the approval
of the District highway engineer,
Capt. H C. Whitehurst, and of Cliff
ford r. Whyte, engineer of bridges
for the District, but has yet to be
approved by the District Commis-
sioners. The Conduit Road Citizens
Association and Brookmont Civic
League have been actively pushing
the proposal.
Would Eliminate Grades.
Frederic A. Delano. chairman Of
the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission, in recommending
to the Commissioners early this year
that a high-level span replace the
existing structure, pointed out that
this type bridge would eliminate the
unusually steep grades descending into
the valley. The location, he pointed
out, sis a natural focal point in the
District highway plan. is easily ac-
cessible to the entire northwest sec
ton by means of Loughboro road
and Nebraska avenue and also to
other outlying sections by way Of the
proposed Tilden street cross-town
major thoroughfare"
The group met at the Senate Office
Building, where they we're joined by
Senators Nye of North Dakota,
Thomas of Oklahoma and Overton
of Louisiana and Representative ia
cobsen of Iowa.
Bridge A Years Old.
They first examined the PennSyl-
vania Avenue Southeast Bridge, for
which the Board of Trade is asking
an appropriation of $4,000 to con-
duct engineering studies looking to-
ward its replacement. The board also
favors advancing the work from 1887,
where it has been scheduled by Capt.
Whitehurst in his six-year program,
to 1886. The structure is "A years
old.
The caravan of automobiles bearing
the legislators, District officials, Board
of Trade members and civic group
representatives then cut across the
eastern part of the city, crossing the
new Benning span, to view the ante
quated viaduct across the B. 81 o.
railroad tracks on line with Eastern
avenue between Bladensburg road and
Rhode Island avenue. Replacement
of this is asked by the board.
Next the group visited the Calvert
Street Bridge, of which replacement
already has been authorized by Con-
gress. The last stop was at the 60
year-old Chain Bridge, which has
been urged for replacement for sew
eral years. 1t carries the main water
supply to Arlington County, and, due
to its age and condition, the load
limit on it is tons.
After examining the bridge, the
group visited the proposed site of the
new span.
Other Members Of Party.
George c. Shinn, chairman of the
Board of Trades Bridges Committee,
headed the group of citizens who con-
Quoted the tour. Accompanying him
were DR.. Llewellyn Jordan, also of the
board; District Highway Engineer
Whitehurst, Bridge Engineer Whyte,
Thomas j. Llewellyn Of the Fedora
tion of Citizens Associations, Capt.
Ellis r. King, president, and Clyde S
Bailey of the Conduit Road Citizens
Association; George L. Gee of the
Rhode Island Avenue Citizens Asso-
citation; A. w. Lee, president of the
Randle Highlands Citizens Associa-
ton: L. H. Odell of the Brookmont
Civic League; John H. Coxhead OF
the Interfederation Conference, H. P.
Caemmerer Of the Fine Arts Commits
sion, John Nolen, jr., of the National
Capital Park and Planning Comnis-
sion: C. Marshall Finnan and John
L. Nagle of the Office of Nationa'
Capital Parks. and George Oakley
Totten. jr.. architect.
The Board of Trade group expects
to appear before Congress this week
with requests for appropriations fol
engineering studies of the proposed