Evening star., 1939-11-26
By HAROLD ROGERS.

Lie uISt Hall Oh Cne new FeQn-
sylvania avenue bridge over the
Anacostia River, known as the John
Philip Sousa Bridge. will be opened
to the public with simple ceremony
Saturday afternoon, December 8.
1t was learned last night.
Paving, over the first half of the
structure-the downstream half
was finished late last week, and the
approaches on both ends are vir-
tually completed. Further details
will be cleaned up during the next
two weeks, and heaU traffic, which
has been carried over the old Penn
sylvania avenue bridge then will all
be shunted onto the first half of
the new Sousa Bridge.
AS soon as this is Accomplished.
according to Capt H. c. Whitehurst,
director of highways for the District,
demolition will start on the old
Pennsylvania avenue bridge, which
will be torn down as soon as posi-
BILE to make way for the second half
the upstream part-of the new
Sousa Bridge.
Half OF the new bridge is expected
to move traffic more easily, and
with smoother flow than all of the
old bridge. Half of the new bridge
is wider than the entire old struc-
ture. The first half of the Sousa
structure is 26 feet wide, as con-
trasted to the "a feet of the entire
old span.
1t will take about another year to
tear down the old one and build
the second half of the new Sousa
Bridge, Capt. Whitehurst esti-
mated.
Progress on Other Projects.
-Four other important bridge, over
pass and viaduct structures are
making good progress in and near
the District-Key Bridge, K street
overpass at Rock Creek, the Thomas
Circle tunnel and overpass and
the Taylor street viaduct over the
B. q Q. Railroad, in Brookland.
Key Bridge, which had been re-
strlcted to one-way traffic since
September 18, was opened to two
way traffic last week, as the prof.
ect nears completion.
A new arch has been built on the
Virginia end of Key Bridge, to carry
the George Washington Memorial
Parkway under it, en- route up along
the Potomac River. A relocated and
enlarged plaza is being completed
on the Rosslyn end of the bridge
to provide more commodious traffic
arteries for motor traffic, and a
better loop turn-around for the
Capital Transit streetcars.
The new arch of Key Bridge is
virtually completed, except for some
details. Most of the supporting
scaffolding has been removed, and
the ground cut down to grade. A
large lower-level plaza has been
graded on the upstream side of the
bridge, to lead the way to further
traffic outlets upstream.
Outlet Plans Hanging Fire.
AS construction work is being
completed on the bridge itself, plans
are still hanging fire for outlets
for the George Washington Memo
rial Parkway above Key Bridge.
This parkway now can be used only
below the bridge one way, down
stream, from Rosslyn to the Lin
coin Memorial Bridge:
The first development for an out
let of the George Washington Me-
mortal Parkway above the bridge
probably will be a request for more
Public Works funds to cut traffic
artery from the parkway level up
to Rosslyn by way of Oak street.
The plan is to carry the parkway
upstream about 600 feet from the
bridge, swing left behind a laundry
in Rosslyn, proceed up a ravine to
Oak street and through Oak street
to the Lee highway at point about
1,1OO feet west of Rosslyn Plaza.
Funds for this improvement, to be
done by Federal money, however,
are not yet available, it was said
yesterday. It is hoped that this
new outlet to the parkway can be
cut through as soon as possible,
however, In order to make fuller