Evening star., 1939-08-09
BidsAsked for Work
On Ross|yn Plaza al
End Of Key Bridge
County Officials Confer
With Planning Boord
On Parkway Link

The parkway and bridge develop
ment at Rosslyn, Va, was advanced
another step today as the Bureau
of Public Roads advertised a con-
tract for the revamping of Rosslyn
Plaza at the Virginia end of Key
Bridge
At the same time Arlington County
officials met with the staff of the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission to discuss the method
by which the county would provide
its share of funds to purchase
land for the second unit of the
George Washington Memorial Park
way
Bids on the plaza contract will
be opened August % and work
should be started by September l
and completed within 100 calendar
days. bureau officials said.
The plaza construction is to COIN
eide with that of the additional span
at the end of Key Bridge, under
which unit No. 2 of the parkway
is to pass
Final. plans for the plaza call for
a traffic circle and streetcar loop
The contract calls for grading and
draining, reinforced pavement con-
struction and construction of sheet
asphalt surfacing.
Plaza to Align With Bridge.
The plaza plans had been held
up until a decision was reached
by the National Parks Service as
to whether the plaza should align
With the bridge or with north-south
streets entering upon it. 1t was
decided to align it with the bridge.
1t was estimated today that the
county's share of land acquisition
cost for the parkway would be
$45,000 instead of S50,00O as was
originally thought. The Federal
Government has put up 100000
and the State of Virginia has pro-
vided $4,000 1t remains for the
county to make its share available
before acquisition can proceed.
The meeting today was prelim-
mary to county board meeting
Monday. The exact agreement
which the board is to make with
the park and planners was not dis
closed. However, it is estimated
that private property donations val
ued at $4,000 will be made and that
county property valued at $4,000
will be made available. Added to
this is $4,000 set aside for land
acquisition in last years county
budget and S19,5O0, set aside in this
years budget. This would make a
total of S49,500 which the county
can use for the parkway purchase
Construction Progressing.
Construction of the additional Key
Bridge span is progressing on sched-
ule with the ribs already in place,
public roads officials said. The span
contract calls for completion within
$50 calendar days and the work
should be completed in November
or December. 1t is expected that
the plaza construction will be COM
pleted before the 100 days is UP and
that the two units will be available
for use at approximately the same
time.
When the span is finished addi-
tional Public Works funds will be
sought for construction of the park
way under the bridge and up to the
Lee Highway. Property already is in
public ownership for short distance
northwest of Key Bridge for this
purpose.
The present roadway which con-
meets the George Washington Park
way with Rosslyn plaza will be used
Tor traftlc from the plaza down to
the parkway. No connecting link
coming up from the parkway to the
plaza will be built, on the theory
that the parkway link up to the
Lee Highway Immediately above the
bridge will serve this purpose.