Evening star., 1940-02-04
Citizens Seek
Bridge Over
AnacOStia
South Capitol Span
Held Warranted
By Population

Held Warranted
BY Population
For almost 20 years the idea Of
linking the Congress Heights-Wash-
ington Highlands area with down.
town Washington by means OF a
bridge or tunnel across the Ana
costa River at South Capitol street
has been smoldering among civic
groups in that area.
Many points to illustrate the need
have been advanced by civic asso-
Citations, private individuals and
places Of business.
For example, people with connec-
tions at Boiling Field, Naval Air Sta
ton, Sewage Disposal Plant, Home
for the Aged and Infirm at Blue
Plains, Naval Research Laboratory
at Bellevue, st. Elizabeth's Hospital
and, in part, the Navy Yard would
use this new structure.
AS conditions now exist, the entire
load from these places as well as
citizens and private business estab-
lishments must use the Eleventh
Street Bridge to reach their homes
or places Of business.
1000 Homes in Area.
Approximate figures Of the Police
Department estimate about 1000
homes in the Congress Heights
Washington Highlands area, with
additional building under way in the
southwest part of this section. On
an average of four persons to fam
lily, the population of the two sec
tions would be slightly over $4,000.
This figure, coupled with the 5000
patients and employees at st. Eliza
beth's Hospital and including those
employees at the various places men
toned above, would, conservatively,
bring the entire population in this
area to a figure well above 10000.
With bridge spanning the Ana
costa River at South Capitol street
the majority Of trafdc that uses
Nichols avenue Sc, main artery to
and from Congress Heights and
Washington Highlands, could be d.
verted across the new structure. The
diversion would relieve tremendous
ly, it was pointed out, the bottle
neck existing at Nichols avenue and
Good Hope road Sc, particularly
during the morning and evening
rush hours, caused in part by buses
stopping to load or unload passen-
gers on narrow Nichols avenue.
In addition, future development of
the proposed Fort Washington scenic
drive would adjoin one approach of
the new bridge and afford shorter
as we'll as picturesque drive from
Washington to Southern Maryland.
Advocates for this structure in
clude the Congress Heights Citizens
Association, the Washington High
lands Citizens Association and the
Southeast Council, the latter organi-
zation comprising almost a dozen
citizens associations in Southeast.
Committee Weighs Plan.
At the next meeting of the Bridge
Committee of the Board Of Trade,
which is expected to be held jointly
with the Streets and Avenues Com
mittee, the question of a bridge at
South Capitol street will be given
serious consideration, George c.
Shinn, chairman of the former COM
mittee, declared yesterday.
Two of the more energetic cam
paigners for the new bridge are
Ernest J. Read, former president Of
the Congress Heights group, and w.
Earl Nair, likewise a former presi.
dent in the Washington Highlands
organization. Both share the same
opinions as to the necessity Of getting
an appropriation In the very near
future.
Mr.. Nair was approached the other
day as to what is being done by the
association toward realizing its aim.
For many years." he said, this
section fought for the Oxon Run
sewer. Since that project has be-
come reality and is serving the
needs of the community, we are
going to concentrate on getting
bridge over here.
In a couple of months" he con-
tinued, "a house-to-house petition,
similar to the one made in this Sec
ton few years ago when we were
asking for the sewer project, will be
made This will be followed I'D by
letters, using the associations letter.
head, to each member Of the House
and Senate District Committee
urging support in obtaining an ap-
preparation for construction Of the
South Capitol street bridge"
I'VE fought long time for the
sewer project before our efforts were
rewarded, and we'll fight as long or
longer, if necessary, until we have a
bridge" Mr.. Nair vigorously added.
Inquiry at the District Building
revealed that, although the question
Of bridge at South Capitol street
was "a live subject" much depended
on the outcome Of traffic survey +
show the need of bridge.
Proposal Considered.
Capt. H. c. Whitehurst, director
OF highways of the District, while
admitting such proposal had been
given consideration, seemed doubt
full as to just when an appropriation
could be made for preliminary work.
Reclamation of land on the old
Boiling Field site and Justification
from a traffic standpoint as to the
needs for a bridge at the South Cap
itol street point are factors to be
considered before any decision is
reached, he said. Any discussions
concerning this particular bridge
site are, Of course, taken up at joint
meetings with the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission,
Capt. Whitehurst added.
The new bridge, which would be a
draw, would begin approximately at
South Capitol and r streets, and
cross the river at a right angle,
joining on the old Boiling Field site
and IN line with Howard road Sc.
At present there are already road
ways leading to the Naval Air Sta
ton and the present Boiling Field
from Howard road. These roads IN