Evening star., 1941-09-20
P|dnnerS'Report
Backs 13Mi|Iion
Bridge Program
Held Needed to Serve
New Army and Navy
Buildings

Virtually the same S13,000.000
bridge approach improvements
deemed vital when the Army re-
vealed its original plan to erect a
War Department building for 40
900 employees in Arlington will be
necessary if traffic is to flow freely
when the projected structure
half as big, and the nearby Navy
Building are completed, the National
Capital Park and Planning Commits
sion held yesterday.
Basis for this conclusion was re-
port on existing and anticipated
traffic conditions on the three major
Potomac River bridges in relation
to the two structures. Forwarded to
the War Department and the Public
Roads Administration, the study was
predicated on 10000 persons being
employed at the Army building and
5000 at the Navy edifice by the
spring of 1912.
Further, the report indicated that
In spite of these costly highway i'm
provements, the resultant so per
cent increase in the bridges reserve
capacity will be exhausted within
three years. The only thing to do
then, it pointed out, was to provide
another river crossing bridge or
tunnel-or stagger the hours of
work at the two buildings drastically
Report Submitted to Nolen.
Highway, Memorial and Key
Bridges were examined in the re-
port. John Nolen. jr., director of
planning, who submitted it, pre-
dicted that the need for a new
bridge or tunnel inevitably would
arise.
Based on $4,000 Workers.
The study was made on the basis
of 10000 persons being employed
at the Army building and 5000 at
the Navy structure within two
wears. Analysis was made of High
way, Memorial and Key Bridges.
Analysis of population trends and
habits of Federal employees revealed
that within two years 80 per cent
of the employees at the two build
ings would live on the District side
of the river and that 95 per cent
of that number would travel to
work by automobile or bus.
John Nolen, jr.. director of PLAN
ming, who submitted the report,
explained that its met result"
showed that by the summer OF
1914, at the latest, the reserve ca
pacity of the three bridges would
be exhausted He emphasized that
in the discussion of bridges the
capacity referred to applied to ap-
proaches to the spans rather than
to the bridges themselves. Traffic
over the bridges had been studied
he pointed out simply because they
offered a convenient point of meas
urement.
Bridge Approaches Suggested.
He also said that unless the new
bridge or tunnel is provided, the
hours of work at the two buildings
would have to be staggered beyond
single hour if serious traffic con-
gestion is to be avoided
The principal bridge approach
improvements planned for the Dis
trict are:
|. Construction of a grade sep
sration at Fourteenth street and
Maine avenue S.W.
2. Extension and broadening OF
independence avenue S.W. from the
Capitol to Lincoln Memorial. 1n
this connection, the commission
subsequently approved plan where
by the avenue would be carried to
the plaza from It's present terminus
at Fourteenth street in straight
line, without making use of exist
ing roads in the Mall. The plan
calls for causeWay across the
northern extremity of the Tidal
Basin
3. Widening and extension OF
Twenty third street NV. from
Washington circle to the Lincoln
Memorial plaza.
4. Construction of a vladuct IN
the line of K street NV. from Rock
Greek to Key Bridge. "a plan
whereby traffic westbound on the
nroposed viaduct would underpasS
Kew Bridge, so as to avoid lett
turn into the span, later was ap-
proved0
Proposals for Virginia Side.
improvements recommended on
the Virginia side of the river are:
|. Construction of roadway from
Columbia Island traffic plaza
through Arlington Cantonment to a
point near the intersection OF Co
lumbia pike and Arlington Ridge
road Eventually to be EXTENDED
around the southern border OF
Arlingtc~ Ridge road to U. S. Route l
this road would constitute twin
to Lee boulevard as an approach
road to Memorial Bridge.
2. Widening and improvement OF
Columbia pike from a point near
Arlington Ridg eroad to U. S. Route l
3. Construction of heavy duty
truck road parallel to Arlington
Ridge road near the river.
The cost of District improvements
was estimated at approximately
So 600 OOU ana lnOSe OH IIle VII SlIlld
side at something like $4,000 900
Mr.. Noleh said steps have been
taken" to obtain the necessary
money. without specifying the
means. 1t is assumed, however, that
the work on the District side vii
be paid for from Federal aid ano
local highway funds, while the Wal
Department will certify defense
highway money toward the Virginia
improvements.
Approved Route for Bridge.
Another commission act regarding
District highways, though not di'
rectly related to the Virginia Office
buildings, was the approval OF 6
route from the proposed South Capt.
tol Street Bridge The plan CALL
for a span across the Anacostls
River in line of South Capitol stree
and entails development of th'
Anacostia side approach through