Evening star., 1939-09-13
Dispute Arises
Over Closing
Of Key Bridge
Roads Officials Soy
Not to Do So Would
Entail Heavy Costs

over the closing of Key Bridge as
District government and Bureau OF
Public Roads officials sought to
reach an agreement on limiting
traffic to permit the contractor to
construct the superstructure OF the
additional span at its Virginia end
The Bureau of Public Roads,
which is the contracting agent for
the span, had planned to close the
bridge to all passenger traffic for
an indefinite period starting at e
am. today. Capt. H. c. White
hurst, director of highways, however,
protested late yesterday to the bu-
reau that the bridge should not be
closed without proper justification.'
Consequently it was not known to-
day definitely when the bridge
would be closed or whether it would
be closed at all.
Would Entail Expense.
Public roads officials, however,
asserted emphatically that the span
could not be completed under the
existing contract unless traffic Is
restricted. They said that the con-
tractor would have to be compen-
sated at considerable public expense
If the span were to be completed in
a manner which would permit
capacity traffic to continue using
the bridge. The current contract
did not anticipate keeping the
bridge open at all times for all-use
traffic, they said.
Under the plan which was to take
effect today street cars, buses and
trucks of all descriptions were to
continue using the bridge at least
for the time being.
1t was recalled today that SINH
lar controversy arose last January
and February when roads officials
attempted to close the bridge while
the arch of the additional span was
constructed. After considerable ar
gument, which at one time reached
the House District Committee room,
a ramp was constructed at a cost of
$4,000 to carry traffic over the span
while the arch was being built
Now the arch is virtually complete
and roads officials desire to close
the bridge at least partially while
the superstructure of the span is
being built.
Just what measure would be
adopted to continue traffic for the
remainder of the construction pc
riod, in case the bureau is forced to
keep the bridge open to all-uSe
traffic at all times, was in doubt
today. The bureau gave assurances,
however, that any method used
would prove costly.
A. A. A. Presents Protests.
The picture was further compli-
Gated today by a formal protest
from the American Automobile AS
sociation to the District Building
that traffic over the bridge is not
being handled in an efficient man
ner.
1T is true" the A. A. A. asserted,
'that new construction is under way
at the Virginia end of the bridge,
but proper coordination OF response
bility and efficient direction by COM
petent personnel would greatly IA
cilitate the flow, saving motorists
time and energy and preventing the
confusion and stagnancy that pre-
vailed (the A. A. A. referred to
typical jam" which occurred Sat-
urday afternoon and caused motor
lists to complain to the association. .
Still another complication to the
situation arose as word came from
the Bureau of Public Roads that
work would be started within Jew
days on the reconstruction OF
Rosslyn Plaza at the Virginia end
of the bridge, further disrupting
traffic lanes.
The contract, which calls for the
construction of a modernlzed traflc
circle and streetcar loop, has been
awarded to Corson q Gruman 90.
of Washington on bid of S35 1862 so.
Notice to proceed should be given
the construction company this week,
roads officials said.
Completion Date Doubtful.
Completion of the plaza and the
span very nearly should coincide.
roads officials said. Today 1t was
thought, however, that any extended
controversy over restricting traffic
over the bridge might modify this
prediction.
The new span is to overpass unit
2 of the George Washington Me-
mortal Parkway, now complete to a
point above Theodore Roosevelt
island and connected by road link
to the plaza at Rosslyn. Upon COM
pletion of the span and the plaza
the office of National Capital Parks
is expected to seek funds for the
construction of the parkway under
the bridge with connecting link
to the Lee highway west OF Rosslyn.
When this is completed the link
from Rosslyn Plaza to the parkway
will be one-way downhill. 1t is now
one-way uphill.