Evening star., 1934-01-14
BOARD Of TRADE
SEEKS NEW SPAN
p
BRIDGES Committee viii Urge
Congress to Replace
Chain Bridge.

Immediate steps to replace historic
Chain Bridge, now nearing its sixtieth
anniversary, will be urged by the
Bridges Committee of the Washington
Board of Trade during the present ses-
sion of Congress, it was announced
yesterday.
After an exhaustive study Of the
problem, the committee is preparing to
ask Congress for an appropriation OF
$4,000 to begin an engineering inveS-
tigation looking toward construction Of
q new bridge across the Potomac at
this point.
This request George c. Shinn. chair
man of the committee. said, will be
Supplementary to the request for SIS, 900
for similar study of the Pennsylvania
Avenue Southeast Bridge, also in need
Of replacement. Both requests will be
placed before Appropriations Commit
tees Of House and Senate shortly.
Suspended by Gables.
The existing Chain Bridge-so named
because the original structure at the
site. built early in the last century, was
suspended by chain cables-was built
under contract with the War Depart
ment, and completed March. 1874, ac-
cording to a brief now in the course of
preparation by the Bridges Committee.
During the last 35 years total Of
approximately 100000 has been spent
in maintaining and repairing the span,
the brief states. In June, 1927. it was
closed when an abutment on the Vir-
ginia side was found to be considerably
undermined by the channel waters.
After spending $50 2O5 to replace the
abutment. the bridge was leopened to
traffic in 1928.
The brief cites further:
The present bridge has no sidewalk
facilities 1t is only 20 feet in width
and the tonnage is limited to six tons.
The under surface of this bridge sup
ports two 8-lnch water mains which
transport water from the aqueduct at
Great Falls through the pumping sta
tion at Reno Reservoir and re-routed
through the Delcarlia Reservoir through
24-inch water mains intended for Ar
ington County. Va
Site Selected for New Span.
Unofficial advices In the hands of the
Committee are that the National Cap
ftal Park and Planning Commission. the
Commission of Fine Arts and the War
Departments chief of engineers has
tentatively decided upon a site for a
new bridge of the high-level type a
quarter of a mile above the site of the
present structure.
The committee cites that it is
Strongly of the opinion that the new
bridge should be of such a structural
type and of such design and character
as will adequately provide for the in
creasing volume of traffic and in addi-
ton, the new bridge should be eStheti-
cally in complete harmony with the
natural landscape of the surrounding
territory and so designed and so con-
structed as to preserve the artistic and
natural beauty of the Potomac River
in the vicinity Of the new bridge struc-
ture.
Figures of the Bureau of Public
Roads showing that approximately q
500 vehicles a day pass over the pres
ent bridge, are quoted in the brief.
virginia's Share Debated.
The question of whether Virginia
should be called upon to share in the
expense of a new bridge is brought UP
in the brief. In this connection, II
quotes letter from Commissioner OF
Highways H. G. Shirley of Virginia, to
Mr.. Shinn. in which he said the Dis
trict of Columbia has "in no way con-
suited the State Highway Commission
In regard to the Chain Bridge"
He wrote further: I'VE are in no
position to give you any information
whatever concerning this matter nor
has the State Highway Commission
agreed to any location whatever for
this bridge, and possibly may not ap-
prove Of the one selected by the United
States Government. 1t will depend on
just how this bridge fits in with the
road system of Arlington County
whether the commission will agree to
a change in location or not.
mo funds can be expended by the
Highway Commission except within the
State. and 1t will require an act Of the
Legislature. which 1 do not believe it
will be possible to get through. author
izing the State Highway Commission to
pay any portion of structure outside
the boundary of Virg; mia
New Water Main Necessary.
1t is pointed out by the committee
that consideration must be given to the
construction of new water mains to
supply Arlington County in connection
with the erection of a new bridge.
Mains 36 inches in carrying capacity
are suggested as possibly needed
The committee makes the recon-
mendation that IAN appropriation not
to exceed $4,000 be made available in
the next appropriation act for the Dis
trict Of Columbia, to undertake en-
eineering Investigations and to make
studies with reference to the new bridge
and to the end that structural plans
ano specifications may be prepared
upon the basis of which estimates for
the cost of the new bridge may there
after be submitted in the regular way
to the Congress for consideration"
BAL BOHEME POSTER