Evening star., 1940-09-29
Potomac River
Tunnel Bill
To Be Pushed
Smith Sees Need
For Project as
Defense Link
BY JAMES E. CHINN.

Representative Smltn, Democrat
of Virginia announced last night he
would seek immediate consideration
by the House Committee on Public
Buildings and Grounds Of his long
pending bill providing for a traffic
and railroad tunnel under the
Potomac River to connect Washing
ton and Arlington County.
The increasing seriousness of the
national emergency. he said. makes
construction of such tunnel i'm
perative, not only for the protection
of the Nations Capital, but to as
sure a traffic link between the North
and South. Existing bridges across
the Potomac, he pointed out, are
vulnerable to bombs from the air
and their destruction would cut of
military aid for the city from Army
and Marine Corps stations in nearby
Virginia.
Aside from the national emer-
eency angle, Mr.. Smith said the
tunnel would answer the demands
of rapidly growing sections In Ar
lington and Fairfax Counties for
another traffic artery into Washing
ton.
Traffic Jam Terrific"
TRAFFIC conditions between WASH
ington and nearby Virginia are
simply terrific" he declared. i've
seen cars blocked for mile in the
vicinitv of the Memorial and High
way bridges during the morning
and afternoon rush hours.
The Senate passed bill FRIDAY
authorizing construction OF toll
bridge across the Potomac near
Great Falls. but that span, Mr.
Smith said. would be of little value
to those in Virginia who work IN
the District.
In recent weeks agitation has IN
creased in Arlington County Tor
construction of another bridge Una.
would be of service to thousands OF
Government workers who live IN
nearby Virginia communities ne
continued.
Representative Smith first envls-
toned the present traffic SITUATION
in April 1898. and introduced a bill
for construction of rail and We
hicular tunnel under the Potomac
This measure died automatically IN
the Seventy-fifth Congress. and he
reintroduced it in February, 1853
early in the present Congress. Since
then it has been in committee.
Coruission Is Provided.
Meantime. District officials went
10 work to remove the existing traf-
fic bottleneck at Fourteenth street
and Maine avenue SW. in the vi
cinity of Highway Bridge. with
funds approved by Congress, plans
we're drawn for a grade separation at
the congested intersection that would
carry Maine avenue across Four
teenth street. 1t is proposed to start
construction of this grade separa-
ton next year.
Representative Smiths bill pro-
vides for creation of special COM
mission headed by President Roose-
welt to investigate and report to
Congress the "practicability and ap-
proximate cost" of the proposed tun-
mel. Serving on the commission with
the President would be the Vice
President, the Speaker of the House
and the chairman of the House Com
mittee on Public Buildings and
Grounds.
The actual survey. however, would
be made by an advisory board ap-
pointed by the Secretary Of the In
terror. 1t would consist of a techni-
cal staff made up of architects, land
surveyors and a railroad construc-
ton engineer. An appropriation
of $500 would be made available
Immediately for the use of the ad-
visory board. This money would
be drawn out of the Federal treas
ury.
Dual Purpose Project.
The Smith bill originally proposed
. tunnel under the river to replace
the existing highway and railroad
bridges, and also construction of a
new bridge. It was his idea tnat
rail and truck traffic between Wash
ington and Virginia be required to
use the tunnel and that the new
bridge be erected exclusively for
passenger vehicles.
Since then, conditions have
changed materially. Even with an
additional bridge in the vicinity of
Washington, Mr.. Smith contends the
tube under the Potomac is needed
not only from a peacetime traffic
standpoint, but also to provide a
traffic artery between Washington
and Virginia that railroads and
mechanical forces of the Army could
use in time of war
Representative Smith proposed
originally that the Virginia end of
the tunnel be in the vicinity of the
bird sanctuary on the George WASH
ington Memorial Highway near the
new Washington National Airport.
The Washington termini would be
at some point in the vicinity of D
and E streets, S.W.'