Evening star., 1945-08-26
Victory Bridge
Expected toAid
D. {. Growth
$4,500, 900 Structure
To Solve Difficult
Traffic Problem

District officials predicted last
night construction of the $4,000, ,00C
Victory Bridge across the Anacostia
River will solve one of the Districts
major transportation problems and
materially aid in the city's postwar
development. =
The project was given the 60
ahead signal yesterday when tile
War Production Board gave the
District permission to construct the
bridge. Actual work is expected to
get under way in go days and the
bridge is expected to be completed
within two and one-half years.
Capt. H. C. Whitehurst, director
Of District highways, said the Vic
tory Bridge-known In its planning
stage as the South Capitol Street
Bridge and renamed because it is
the Districts first postwar project
will be a blessing to the entire
city"
Present Span Overburdened.
He explained the present Eleventh
Street bridge which spans the Ana
costa now Is heavily overburdened
with traffic. An average of $4,000
vehicles-far too many to accommo-
date speedy traffic f1ow-now pass
over the bridge every day, he SAID.
IF anything ever happened to the
old bridge-even temporary Difficult
tfes-it would halt traffic entirely
and we would be in one serious
mess" Capt., Whitehurst declared.
With the Victory Bridge to sup
plement the present one, the flow
of traffic will be speeded up tire
mendously," it was predicted.
One of the main purposes of the
new bridge will be to relieve traffic
congestion in the Southeast area
brought about by housing develop
ments which have sprung up in the
Anacostia section.
Downtown Will Be Closer.
The new bridge, which will extend
from the end of South Capitol street
to the Anacostia side of the river
north of the Naval Air Station, will
shorten considerably the route from
the southern end of the District to
the main part of the city. This will
prove an invaluable aid to the city's
commerce and industry as we'll as
aiding motorists, Capt. Whitehurst
added.
The Victory Bridge will aid per-
sons with connections at Boiling
Field, Naval Air Station, Sewage
Disposal Plant, Home for the Aged
and Infirm at Blue Plains, Naval
Research Laboratory at Bellevue,
st. Elizabeth's Hospital. The Navy
Yard also will make some use of
the new structure.
At present the entire load from
these places as well as citizens and
private business establishments
must use the Eleventh Street Bridge
to reach their homes or places of
business. ~~
Besides providing access to the
above named places, the bridge also
connects with the Indianhead road
in nearby Maryland and provides
direct connection with the military
highway running to Camp Springs
-(Md.) Army airbase.
Climaxes 25-Year Effort.
The go-ahead sign to start con-
struction on the bridge eliminates
more than 25 years of effort on the
part of civic group in the area as
well as the press and public Off
cials to link the Congress Heights
Washington Highlands area with
downtown Washington by means of
a bridge.
Plans for the bridge were COM
pleted several years ago and funds
were authorized by Congress, but
the project was postponed because
OF failure to obtain priorities for
material.
officials believe the bridge will
be one of the most outstanding in
the country, both from a scenic and
construction point of view. Similar
In construction to the Chain Bridge,
the Victory Bridge will have a deck
structure which eliminates overhead
spans. 1t will be $500 feet long
and will be of steel girder construc-
ton.
There will be two 24-foot traffic
lanes, separated by 4-foot curb.
The bridge will have a swinging
span OF 386 feet. This unusual length
Is necessary, officials said, because
the bridge will be located below the
Navy Yard, and construction had
to be planned to permit access of all
types of vessels to the Navy Yard.
Concrete piers faced with stone will
support the structure.
Bids Due in 30 DAYS.
Advertising for bids will be issued
next Wednesday, with opening bids
to follow 80 days later. After issu-
ance of contract, the construction
firm must complete the understruc-
ture within $50 calendar days.
Meanwhile, fabrication of the super
structure will be started.
District officials already have re-
duested the Labor Department to
fix wage rates for the project. It is
estimated that $4,000 man-hours
will be required to complete the
project.
officials indicated there is posi-
bility that both day and night
shifts will be employed to speed
up the project.
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