Evening star., 1946-08-04
Plans Speeded
For Maryland
Parkway Unit
First Seven Miles
To Link Cabin John
And Greet FulIs
By Rudolph Kouffmonn II

By Rudolph Kouffmonn II
First unit Of the long planned
George Washington Memorial Park.
way to be built In Montgomer,
County will be seven-mile stretch
between Cabin John Greek ane
Great Falls, the National Parh
Service disclosed yesterday.
Announcement Of its intention tx
request funds for the construction
phase of the parkway was made
recently by the park service, which
controls the Washington park sys.
tenn through its local held agency
the ONCE of National Capita
Parks. About 80 per cent OF thu
necessary land has been bought
and money has been appropriated
for the remainder.
The park service determined te
seek construction funds following
amendment of the 1880 act authoriz.
ing the Memorial Parkway to per-
NIT 100 per cent Federal financing
of the part of the roadway lying
in Maryland. as we'll as the vir-
ginia segment. ~.
Funds to Be Sought.
II the Budget Bureau approves
the park services plan, construc-
ton money would be provided under
the 1948 Interior Department ap-
preparation bill in the section max
ing annual funds available for ma
tional parkways.
Park officials said yesterday that
plans for the Cabin john Great
Falls leg of the parkway are rapidly
being brought to completion with
the help of road designers Of ths
Public Roads Administration, which
will engineer and supervise the ac-
tual construction.
Under the plan, the Montgomery
County sector would start just up
river of the creek, being tied into
Macarthur boulevard by a specia
feeder road. The parkway woulG
skirt the c. 6 O. Canal. passing
between the canal and the Davie
Taylor Model Testing Basin a
Carderock From there it woult
continue past the Anglers Inn, tax.
ing the greatest possible advantage
of the rocky topography between
there and the falls. The upper
terminus would be at historic Great
Falls Tavern, now in disrepair but
scheduled for remodeling as q park.
lodge.
Condemnation Action Due.
The Park and Planning Commis.
sion, which buys land for the project
and turns 1t over to the park service
for development. announced thi'
week its intention to ask the Jus
tice Department to start condemna'
ton proceedings necessary to acQui'
sition of the remaining hand neces'
sary to the parkway right-of-wa!
as soon as possible.
The roadway itself would be dual
with the lanes separated by 4 center
strip OF varying width. Protected b,
a strip OF park land from Residential
or commercial improvement, 1t woult
be restricted to passenger trafdc
except that buses may be permitted
to operate over certain sections.
This section of the parkway l.
only one Of several which are plan
ned eventually to link Great Fall
and Mount Vernon with sceni,
roadway on both sides OF the Poto'
mac River some 90 miles long.
Other Sections Planned.
First unit of the drive to be bull
was the Mount Vernon Memoria
highway, which now extends from
Mount Vernon to Key Bridge. Othel
sections will link Cabin John with
Macarthur boulevard and the pro
posed Fort drive in the District, th'
X street speedway, Potomac Park
the Washington Baltimore park
way (via Independence and Consti
tuition avenues extended), the Soutl
Capitol street bridge and For
Washington, across the river from
Mount Vernon.
A bridge above Great Falls ant
ferry at Mount Vernon are pro-
posed eventually to link the tw,
loose ends Of the road.
Last section to be built likely vii
be the upper Arlington and Fairfa,
County leg Of the drive. Virgini,
and the counties have been sloy
to appropriate necessary land-pur
chase funds at q time when prop
erty owners along the right of VA.
are planning building and subdivi
sions, which will send land cost
soaring
This Is causing the planning com
mission great concern and recentl.
caused 4 remark by its director o
planning, John Nolen, jr.. that /
something is not done to get tn
land soon, there is danger Of hav
ing to abandon this section Of tn,
parkway completely.
An early conference with Gov
Tuck Of Virginia and county oficial
| Is planned to ease the situation