Evening star., 1941-05-05

The director revealed there were
three possibilities by which traffic
might be conveyed across the river
"a high-level bridge, a loW-level
bridge and a tube The first was
dismissed, he said. because it would
interfere with aviation and prob
ably would require l35-foot clear
ance. Chief objection to the low
level span was that, besides its in
reference to some extent with air.
craft operations. its draw would
have to be opened so often for ships
passing along the river as to con-
stitute serious obstruction to high
way traffic.
Location of Tube and Cost.
The proposed tube would extend
under the river from Alexandria to
Sherherds Landing, point at
which the stream is approximately
$500 feet wide, and would cost ap-
proximately s9.500,000. 1t would
form part of a suggested bypass
route linking Virginia roads with
the highways north and west of
the District. but its greatest bene-
fit would be in the relief of the
immense traffic load now taxing
Highway Bridge.
Capt. Whitehurst said he was sur
prised to learn of the inbound flow
over Highway Bridge as revealed
by the meter cneck taken there in
recent months. The source of this
traffic is not wholly known, he add
ed, but an effort will be made to 10
cate it in the hope that there also
will be found the reason why High
way Bridge is so much more heavily
taxed than Memorial Bridge.
Much of the Highway Bridge traf-
fic it is known, comes from Alex
andria and points south, while an
estimated 10 per cent of it is made
up by trucks, which are not per-
mitteo on Memorial Bridge, but the
director does not believe these
sources would explain the difference
Alexandria Crossing Warranted.
Capt. Whitehurst said the present
flow OF traffic passing over the Po-
tomac River warrants construction
of a crossing at Alexandria. OF the
four bridges across the river, only
one-Highway Bridge-is carrying
anywhere near its capacity load.
Actual check revealed that tht
four bridges had an average daily
volume of 110535 vehicles last sum
mer and that on some days the load
was as high as 125,000. The count
indicated that Chain Bridge was
not being utilized to near its useful
capacity. probably due to inadequate
approaches and roads leading to it
particularly on the Virginia side
This also was found to be true o1
Key Bridge, which has bad ap.
pfoaches on each side.
Memorial Bridge, according to the
director, is capable of carrying con.
| siderable more traffic than wa.
found to be crossing there A much
| heavier volume was shown to bt
pouring over the crowded four lane.
of Highway Bridge than over tht
OLA ldIlCS VI NCIilOl ldl Dul lliS tllS
recent Cherry Blossom Festival, fol
instance, meters showed that So ,00t
vehicles crossed Highway Bridge or
each of the two days, as compared
to $4,000 for Memorial.
The check that week end also re-
vealed that the traffic load at thi'
period is 20 to Is per cent above
normal, while that on Memorial i!
nearly so per cent above normal
It was estimated that $1,000 car
from Virginia alone came into th'
District during the festival.
| Anacostia Bridge.
The most important bridge callet
for in the highway program is ,
new $4,500, 900 span across the Ana
costa River at South Capitol street
This bridge, it is expected, woult
take a good part of the traffic of
Anacostia Bridge, now badly over
loaded, and would relieve congestion
on Nichols avenue and Good Hop
road. Moreover, it would provide al
important link in the trunk highwa,
to the Southeast Snd would connec