Evening star., 1940-04-21

tract in American history and soon
finest transportation terminals yet
which will come within few feet O.
equaling in length the Capitol Build.
ing, including the Senate and Houss
wings.
Although the new terminal build.
ing, in size and architectural beauty
is expected to form one of the most
impressive additions in some years
to the building attractions of the
National Capital, it also will embody
functional principles which will
make it unique-a preview of the
transportation terminal of tomor-
row.
The new terminal building is de-
signed to handle sight-seers by the
thousands, in addition to airline
passengers, mail, baggage and ex-
press, without conflict or mixing OF
traffic streams. Under this arrange
ment, sight-seers will not become a
necessary evil, interfering with the
efficient operation of the terminal
but a desirable accompaniment to
the operation of one of the most
modern traffic terminals the world
has seen.
For the spectators will have their
own approach drives to the terminal
their own automobile parking areas
and their own promenade, along
the front of the entire building
with an uninterrupted length of
more than TOO feet, raised one floor
above the airport level. This prom
enade will command a magnificent
view not only of the entire airport
but also of the Potomac River and
the city beyond.
A great glass-walled dining room
will open on a terrace one floor
above this promenade and during
good weather the terrace will be
utilized for open-air dining.
Gives Unusual View.
Nor will the presence of thou.
sands of spectators on the prom
enade interfere with the view OF
airline patrons in the great terminal
waiting room and ticket Office. Three
raises in floor level above the prom
enade will permit those in the wait
ing room to look over the heads OF
the promenaders, through two
story glass wall, over the airport
and the city.
The present construction sched-
ule calls for completion of the air.
port paving contract during July
and the buildings during Septem-
ber and for Inauguration of airline
operations by October /.
With completion of a hydraulic
fill of more than 100000 cubic
yards last December, 70 days ahead
OF schedule, the way was cleared
for actual construction of runways
and terminal buildings.
Clinton M. Hester, Civil Aero
nautics Authority administrator
early in April signed the contract
Tor paving the runWays, taxi strips
and aprons at Washington National
Alrport-a paving contract equiva-
lent to the laying of so miles OF
paved road 20 feet wide. Since
road-paving contracts customarily
are let in units of 10 miles or less
this contract, according to Federal
officials, ranks as the largest single
paving contract in American paving
history and probably in world
history.
In placing the hydraulic fill on
the airport site, the dredgers piled
sand and gravel along the runway
sites far higher than the finished
level will be. Since December huge
bulldozers or scrapers have been
at work mixing, leveling and con-
solidating that fill along the run
ways. This work has imposed bur-
dens on the runways. in weight OF
machinery and surplus fill, greater
than any which are expected in
the course of their use for the land
Ing and take-off of airplanes.
They survived that test mag
nificently," said Col. Sumpter Smith
chairman of the Interdepartmental
Engineering Commission, in charge
of the construction of Washington
National Airport. There is no evil
dence of any considerable settle
ment at any point"
Resilient Paving.
Paving of the runways alone will
account for what would be almost
80 miles of the usual 20-foot road
The taxiways, over which airplanes
can roll to the point of take-ofi
without using the runways, and the
broad apron in front of the hangers
terminal building and observation
terraces and airport roads will ac-
count for the rest of the mileage
More than 10000 tons of paving
material will 60 into these areas
A resilient type of construction
which is estimated to cost less than
one-third as much as rigid forms
of construction, is being employed
The north ends of the 6,875-foot
north-south runway and the $780,
foot northwest-southeast runway
are being paved first and, as work
proceeds toward the center and
south end of the field, paving OF
the 4,820-foot northeast-southwest
runway and the 4,200-foot east-west
runway, parallel and adjacent tt