Evening star., 1941-10-17
Span Approach
System Studied
By Planners
a. Projects in D. c.
To Cost S., 1000, 900
To Be Considered

The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission today was to
devote further study to the multi
million-dollar bridge approach i'm
provement projects made necessary
by erection Of the new War De-
partment Building in Arlington
County.
The commission was to consider
four major Improvements, estimated
to cost about s5OOOOO held nee
essary on the District side of tie
Potomac if traffic is 10 flow freely
across Highway, Memorial and Key
bridges when the 10000 employs
are put TO work in the new Army
building early in l943.
One of the four projects. extern
sion of Independence avenue from
Fourteenth street TO the Lincoln
Memorial plaza, was TO receive par
ticular attention, with Secretary of
the Interior Ickes participating in
the discussions Since the project
involves cutting a road through
park property, Mr.. Ickes was asked
to attend the meeting.
Yesterday the commission was
presented with new phase of an
other District project. involving
widening Of Twenty-third street
from the Lincoln plaza to Washing
/ ton Circle. This was a scheme TO
provide a curving tunnel beneath
the memorial itself so that Memorial
Bridge traffic could proceed up or
down TWenty-third street without
/ entering the plaza.
Tunnel Would Raise Costs.
There appeared small likelihood Of
the tunnel scheme being incnrpo-
rated in the Twenty-third street
| project. however. since it was esti-
mated by commission members that
it would add approximately $1,000
900 to the cost. Unable to finance
the projects if they are to be COM
pleted in time to serve the War De-
partment Building, the District is
depending on Federal aid.
The other two city projects in
volve construction of a grade sep
aration at Fourteenth street and
Maine avenue S.W. and a viaduct
along the line Of K street NV. from
Rock Greek and Potomac parkW9"
to Key Bridge.
Commission members. led b.
A o11
spected the project sites yester6
afternoon, afterWard Announce
that they felt at least three ma '~'
improvements we're necessary on the
Virginia side. These improvement,
all mapped in road study made by
the Public Roads Administration,
are:
l. Widening and relocation Of Co.
lumbia pike TO provide an extension
of Lee boulevard around the south
ern side of Fort Myer. From
point near Arlington Ridge road the
improved pike would curve between
the new Army building and Airing
ton Cantonment and join Columbia
Island traffic plaza.
Truck Road Considered.
2. Providing a fork from the new
Columbia pike from a point near
Arlington Ridge road and extend
ing to Highway Bridge. passing to
the south of the War Department
Building.
3. Construction of a "heavy-dutv
truck road" from the Virginia end OF
Key Bridge. across Arlington Can
tonment paralleling the Pennsylva-
mia Railroad spur, passing close 10
the new building and joining U. S.
Route l several miles to the south
of Columbia pike.
| Plans for intricate grade separa-
/ tions and "cloverleaf' intersections
/ have raised the estimated cost Of
the Virginia improvements to ap-
proximately 100000. Thomas S.
Settle. commission secretary, said
the Army agreed with the plan
ners that the road changes were
vital to the new War Department
/ Building.
Consideration also was to be given
today to two suggestions brought
/ forward by Arlington County high
way authorities, involving construc-
ton of new Potomac River bridges.
One proposal was to bridge the
river across Theodore Roosevelt
Island between Wilson boulevard
in Virginia and New Hampshire
avenue.
Forked Bridge Suggested.
The second suggestion, offered as
an alternative to the first. was to
build "Y"-shaped bridge from Lee
boulevard on the Virginia shore to
the north tip of Columbia Island
where it would fork to join both
New Hampshire avenue and Con-
stitution avenue in the District
Reviewing the progress of legis-
lation affecting the commission yes
terday, Mr.. Settle told members
there was reason to expect action
soon on the bill providing for a new
District Court Building.
He also reported that bill trans
ferring Is acres of land from the
Naval Medical Research Center
grounds near Bethesda to the parks
office had passed in the House and
now was awaiting action in the Sem
ate. The transfer is necessary %
acquisition of a unit of Rock Creek
and Potomac parkway in Maryland.
The action of the Commissioners
in asking amendment of the So
called off-street parking bill to re-
quire that they consult the Plan
ming Commission before acquiring
any property for parking purposes
also was related by Mr.. Settle. The
amended bill would require the COM
mission to make recommendation
regarding parking areas within 30
days of the Commissioners ap-
proach, he pointed out.