Evening star., 1947-10-12
PRA 10 Ask Bids
On Memorial
Parkway Link
Construction to Sturt
Soon on Extension
In Arlington County
By Nelson M. Shepord

The Public Roads Administra-
ton disclosed yesterday it is plan
ming to start work at once on the
long proposed extension of George
Washington Memorial Parkway for
a distance of a mile and a half to
Lorcom Lane and Lee highway in
Arlington County.
Planned as one of the principal
links in the scenic route along the
Potomac River, the new section of
the four-lane divided highway is
expected to be finished by spring.
Construction bids will be called for
in the next week or 10 days, Of
ficials said.
Completion of this vital link will
do much to relieve traffic jams at
Rosslyn Circle and Key Bridge dur
ing rush hours, by providing an
easier access to Arlington Memorial
Bridge. Residents of Cherrydale,
Lorcom lane and communities far
ther north will be the chief bene-
ficiaries as they will have available
quicker route to downtown Wash
ington and will be able to bypass
Key Bridge.
Work to Be Rapid.
In view of the long delay on this
project, which required negotiations
with Arlington County and the
State of Virginia, Federal road Of
ficials expect to carry out the con-
struction work as rapidly as possible
If satisfactory bids are obtained the
hrst time, the PRA officials said, con-
struction work should continue
rapidly up to Christmas. 1t is not
believed weather conditions would
hamper the work.
Arlington residents are more In
clined, perhaps, to regard the new
link as it affects traffic. Federal
road officials and the National Cap
ital Park and Planning Commission
are more interested in it as one of
the links in the parkway that even
tually will extend up the Virginia
shore of the river to Great Falls.
Plans call for two sections of the
highway. The first will extend the
George Washington Memorial Park
way under the new span of the Key
Bridge up the edge of the river for
eight-tenths of mile to Sprout
Run. The run is small stream, not
unlike Rock Greek in its natural
setting, which empties into the river
a short distance above The Three
Sisters
To Extend Up Sprout Run.
Next, the parkway will be extend
ed up both sides of Sprout Run and
under the Uhle Street Bridge to the
end of Lorcon lane, to tie in with
the existing road system. This con-
Meeting link is estimated at seven-
tenths of a mile. Planning officials
said the parkway will touch Lercom
lane southeast of North EdgeRood
street and connect with Lee high
way in the vicinity of Kirkwood
road.
Detailed planning of the extension
began in the spring of 1926. AS was
the case with all the links of the
George Washington Memorial Park
way, the planning and the acquisi-
ton of rights f-way to make this
one of the most beautiful of city
boulevards has required years of
patient work.
At its last monthly meeting the
Park and Planning Commission gave
some study to expediting the exten-
sion under Key Bridge and up the
river. It will receive further con-
sideration this month, for the COM
pletion of this link calls for extend
ing the parkway in Fairfax County
to Great Fans. Difficulties face the
planning commission, it was be-
lieved, in getting local property
owners to cooperate as they did in
Arlington County.