Evening star., 1940-09-20
Board Passes
.14th Street
Grade Project
Planners Approve
Also Fort Drive
Double Strip


The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission today gave
final approval to plans for the
Fourteenth street and Maine avenue
S.W. grade separation project and.
in another move, decided to make
Fort Drive double strip roadway
along. most of its course.
After a year and a half, during
which Capt. H. C. Whitehurst, Dis
trict director of highways, has pre-
pared approximately 80 different
plans for the grade separation.
compromise plan was finally ap-
proved.
AS it now stands, the grade sep
aration would carry Fourteenth
street over Maine avenue and over
adjacent park drives without pro-
viding access directly to Maine ave-
nue. and the drives by means of a
modified clover leaf ramp. Thus.
traffic desiring to connect with
Maine avenue will find it more con-
venient to use either Fifteenth street,
East Tidal Basin drive or Twelfth
street in reaching the Washington
Channel waterfront. Traffic on
Fourteenth street will be largely to
cross Highway Bridge.
Oppose "CIover Leaf"
Park officials objected to the modi-
fed clover leaf ramp from the grade
separation to Maine avenue because
1t would require constructing the
second bridge needed to carry park
roads and connection over the south
east corner Of the Tidal Basin far
out in the basin, imperiling park
| characteristics of the vicinity.
Capt. Whitehurst, who attended
the meeting to present his plan, said
that the entire project would take
about two years to build and would
cost more than 100000
He said the second bridge over the
Tidal Basin and low-level roads
would be constructed first and later
the overpass itsclf This would en-
able traffic to continue using the
intersection and the approach to
Highway Bridge while the overpass
was being constructed. About 81 900
cars day use the intersection, Can't.
Whitehurst said, and it has become
one of the heaviest traffic areas in
| Washington
Capt. Whitehurst now has before
District Commissioners budget re-
quest for s250O00 to start work on
the project
Decide on Fort Drive.
In deciding on double strip road
way for Fort Drive, the planners
took the advice of Jay Downer, park
way expert, formerly with the West
chester County IN. " Park Com
mission, whom they called in as q
consultant.
Land for the drive, which is to en-
| circle the city via its Civil War
fortiflcation over a 23-mile route,
has been or is being bought. Con-
demnation proceedings for remain
ing land are under way.
No funds for constructing the drive
roadway exist. but the Planning
Commission and District and park
officials are attempting to work out
plan whereby it would be financed
from District gasoline tax funds.
Capt. Whitehurst said that he
thought the drive roadway would
cost from 100000 to Sl25 900 a mile
Where the drive is to use existing
city streets. the double-strip plan
would not obtain, Thomas S. Settle.
! commission secretary, said. Such
streets would be Nebraska and East
ern avenues.
Defense Question Up.
Mr.. Settle said the commission also
yas to discuss during the day plans
for national defense affecting the
National Capital. While he declined
to give details, Mr.. Settle indicated
that discussion probably would re-
volve principally around Govern
ment housing and regional high
ways.
Along these lines w. E. Reynolds.
public buildings administrator. and
John Nolen, jr, the commissions
| director of planning. were to pre-
sent for commission consideration
plans for three proposed new Gov
ernment buildings-an addition to
the Federal Reserve Board Build
ing, a general Office building to be
placed on Lincoln Square in East
Washington and Government
document warehouse to be placed
on the Arlington Experimental
Farm.
Zoning to Come Up.
The commission also was to con-
slider today:
Plans to extend Firth Sterling
avenue Sc. to connect Anacostia
and Shepherd parkways across Boil
ing Field and the Naval Air Sta
ton in Anacostia.
zoning regulations for the District
which have been proposed by the
Zoning Advisory Council.
Contracts for additional land for
the George Washington memorial
parkway.
New developments on the Arling-
ton County thoroughfare plan
worked out by the Arlington County
Planning Commission.
Requests to rezone property along
Washington street in Alexandria.
And the status of the Anacostia
River f1ood-control project.
Ao%aI pro~ok:e. kL