Evening star., 1944-06-22
Planning Commission
To Get New DESIGNS
On KIingIe Bridge
Drawings on Proposed
New Highway Span Also
Will Be Submitted
BULLETIN.

Secretary of the Interior
Ickes urged the National Cap
ital Park and Planning Com
mission today to lose no time
in acquiring money and land
to provide additional parks
and Fairgrounds in the down.
town section of Washington.
He also urged complete elimi-
nation of sewage from the
Potomac River; opposed the
plan for replacing Highway
Bridge with two 4-lane spans;
urged tearing down all tenn
porary Government buildings
after the war and condemned
proposals to erect power dams
in the Potomac Great Falls.
substituss aesisYis Of proposedre
placements for the Klingle Street
Bridge in Rock Creek Park and
Bridge across the Potomac
River will be submitted for approval
of the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission today at its
opening monthly session.
A single span of six traffic lanes
is now proposed by Capt. H. C.
Whitehurst, District highway di-
rector, to eliminate the bottleneck
in the park caused by the heavy
traffic flow from the Zoo, Porter and
Klingle streets. Last month he SUBJ
mitted plans for three-level bridge
A model of the new plan has been
prepared by Clarke & Ratauno
bridge consultants
Two bridges of four traffic lanes
each are now proposed to replace
the old Highway Bridge. Competi-
tive drawings had been asked on
that basis and the results will be
shown to the commission.
Long Considered Problem.
Highway Bridge has six traffic
lanes, judged inadequate for present
and future peaks of traffic. The
problem has been troublesome one
with Federal agencies split over
various proposals.
The situation in Rock Creek Park
has been another long considered
problem. 1t was believed the new
plan for single-level bridge would
be sufficient to route north and
south traffic under 1t. Capt White
hurst has planned to erect the
bridge about IL feet north of the
present span.
Frederic Law Olmstead, consult
ant. will submit preliminary re-
port on studies made in connection
with the development of Anacostia
Park, the idea being to bring these
studies up to date. The project
dates back to 1923.
Many Changes in Area.
Since the original Board Of Engi-
.neers for Anacostia Park began Ge-
velopment work many changes in
that area have been made The
studies will be undertaken in the
light of other new improvements
such as the stadium site at the enc
of East Capitol street. the Washing
ton Baltimore boulevard, the uo-
posed new design for the Pennsvi.
Vania Railroad Bridge across the
Anacostia River and proposed en-
| ilargement of the colored golf links
The flood problem along the Ana
costa has become more acute anl
also must be taken into considera-
! ton.
Tomorrow the commission viii
make a study of the site selected fol-
the proposed naval ordnance labor
atory, which is to be located east OF
Beltsville, Md, straddling the Prince
Georges and Montgomery County
lines. The site has met with the
approval of the House Naval Affairs
Subcommittee and naval officials
Planning officials feel that this is
an opportune time for them to make
a study of it.
Also, a number OF Public Build
ing Administrator items will come
up tomorrow. These involve plans
for permanent postwar Government
buildings and minor changes to
existing buildings.
John Nolen, jr., director of plan
ming, will make a progress report
on cooperation with the District
Commissioners in connection with
the Whitehurst transportation
studies. Those studies involve ex-
tensive studies of street railway ano
bus transportation, as we'll as
general vehicular traffic and park
ing.
Before the monthly session ends
tomorrow, the commission also will
act on a proposed transfer of lano
in the Southeast to serve as a site
for the construction of a new Dis
trict refuse station. The present
station is located at New Jersey
aVenlla and x street G r.