Evening star., 1938-06-09
THOMAS CIRCLE
TUNNEL IS VOTED
BY COMMISSION
K Street 0verpass Over
Rock Creek and Potomac
Parkway Indorsed.
ACTUAL WORK LIKELY
TO BEGIN ABOUT SEPT.1
Hazen to Submit Traffic Safety
Program to City Heads When
He Returns Here.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

SPECIAL Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, June s,-Fine Arts
Commission approval Of preliminary
plans today cleared the way for start
of construction early in the fall on a
traffic tunnel under Thomas Circle
and q K street oyerpass over the Rock
Greek and Potomac Parkway, de-
signed to relieve traffic hazards at
these congested points in Washington.
Designs of the two projects were
approved by the Fine Arts Commits
sion at meeting here today with
Capt. H. c. Whitehurst, District di-
rector Of highways and bridges, and
William A. Van Duzer, District traf-
f1c director.
Capt. Whitehurst said this left only
working drawings and the letting Of
contracts to be completed before
actual construction work is started.
probably about September /.
Proposes Safety Plan.
Meanwhile Commissioner Melvin C.
Hazen, who, with Capt. Whitehurst
and Mr.. Van Duzer. has inspected
divided highways and other modern
trafic-control projects in New York
and New Jersey this week, proposed
similar developments on large scale
in the District to promote trafic
safety.
Washington never can catch I'D
with what we need in this line under
our present system" Mr.. Hazen said.
Our traffic problems can be handled
satisfactorily only if we spend money
for modern improvements, and it is up
to the District and Congress to decide
If we want to spend it,"
Mr.. Hazen said he would submit sug-
gestions for comprehensive new traf-
fic safety program, including construc-
ton of divided highways and of by
pass through highways to skirt the
edges Of the city for tourist and truck
traffic, to the Board of Commissioners
on his return to Washington. Such q
program might be financed by a bond
issue of possibly $25, 5,000,0 900, he said.
Money Provided For.
The 1899 District appropriation bin
provides $3.50, 900 for construction Of
the Thomas Circle underpass and
$4,000 for the K street-Rock Greek
project.
The plans provide for four 22-foot
traffic lanes on Massachusetts, avenue
between Thirteenth and Fifteenth
streets, with the two center lanes 60
ing in a tunnel under Thomas Circle
at Fourteenth street, and the other
two feeding into the circle for traffic
flowing from Massachusetts, avenue
to Fourteenth street, M street or YER
mont avenue. The underpass roadway
will dip approximately 20 feet below
the present level of Massachusetts,
avenue.
K street will be elevated onto q
rubble masonry viaduct to pass over
both the Rock Creek-Potomac Park
way and Rock Creek itself, the plans
including replacement Of the present
bridge over the creek.
To Return at Once.
The three District officials planned
to return to Washington Immediately
after the Fine Arts Commission meet
ing today.
Concluding their tour yesterday, they
visited the automobile inspection sta
ton at Newark preparatory to COM
pleting plans for opening two such
stations in the District under the new
appropriation act.
Wedding out defective cars through
compulsory inspection should aid ma
terially in cutting down the Districts
accident rate, Mr.. Hazen said.