Evening star., 1949-11-04
Civil Engineers
Here for Session
Tour D. {. Area
City Highway Officials
Call for u. 5. Funds to
Modernize System

Visiting civil engineers went
sightseeing today after hearing
highway officials stress the need
for Federal funds to support a
$68. 100000 modernization OF
Maryland and Virginia roads serv-
ing the Washington Metropolitan
Area.
S. r. Harrison, District deputy
director of highways, joined in the
plea for greater Federal assistance
in addressing the American So
ciety Of Civil Engineers yesterday
In addition to general sight
seeing tours. the engineers took q
construction. highway and struc-
tural" tour today.
This tour was to inspect the new
bridge under construction over the
Potomac River at Fourteenth
street, the Pentagon highway net
work. the Shirley Memorial high
way. the Whitehurst Freeway in
Georgetown. the Washington Ma
tional Airport and the Dupont
Circle underpass job.
Can't Keep Pace With Growth.
Other tours today included q
look at the David w. Taylor Model
Basin, the Naval Ordnance Lab
oratory and the Blue Plains sew
age treatment plant, as well as a
tour OF the city for engineers in
terested in city planning.
MIR. Harrison complained that
the small amount of Federal
road funds contributed to the
District. about $550,0O0 annually
has never been adequate. The
District is now far behind its
schedule of highway construc-
tlon. he warned, being unable to
Keep pace with the phenomenal
growth Of the city.
Every main road and bridge
built IN the District must be de-
signed to accommodate traffic of
the entire Metropolitan Area, he
pointed out.
Mr.. Harrison said the Potomac
River constitutes a barrier be-
tween the District and Northern
Virginia which, because of the
rivers location within the geo.
graphical limits of the District of
Columbia, places the whole burden
OF providing crossing facilities
upon the District"
Cites Arlington Growth.
II mention this" he added, mot
because I believe Virginia should
bear a greater portion of the bur-
den. but to indicate the extent
and magnitude of our own prob
lem. Arlington County is fast be-
coming city in its own right, and
the entire burden Of connecting
that great community and our
own with adequate and sufficient
river crossings will fall upon the
District Of Columbia. This alone
is a tremendous task for a COM
Of our size"
Mr.. Harrison called the agree
ments entered into among Mary
land. Virginia and the District
In assessing the costs of road sur
veys "milestones in the develop
ment Of an adequate system of
highways for the Washington
Area"
William F. Childs, jr., chief
highway engineer of Maryland,
said the Washington suburbs still
are outgrowing their roads faster
than Maryland can replace them.
He said 125 miles of roads on
the edge Of Washington need
$48. 100000 worth of oyerhauling.
Maryland believes the Federal
Government should provide some
Of the funds to meet highway
needs in the area, he added.
Under the accelerated road
building program in Maryland,
highway improvements in the
Washington suburban area have
been averaging $1,780,000 a year
for the past three years." Mr..
Childs reported. IF the $48, ,000,-
O00 decentralization program
In the area were spread over 10
years, 1t would still mean $4,800,-
900 a year to get the job done. /"
Virginia Needs Estimated.
c. s. Mullen. chief engineer of
the Virginia Highway Depart
ment, said $16,000.00o will be
needed to bring the primary road
system in the Washington Metro
politan Area in Virginia to a
standard desirable for present and
future traffic needs.
"It has been estimated that it
will be possible to supply only
approximately 100000 annually,
including Federal aid," Mr.. Mullen
said. "At this rate, 40 years will
be required to meet the needs
without material and increased
assistance.
ut is evident that this problem
cannot be satisfactorily solved if
there is applied to it only the
limited resources of Virginia"
In a symposium dealing with
airports, a paper prepared by a
Civil Aeronautics Administration
official, stressed. the fact that
washington needs a supple
mentary airport for air passenger
transport flying right now"
The paper, read in his absence
by Philip Hahn Of CAA. made no
of Tuesdays disaster at
Washington National Airport,
when IS persons were killed in 4
crash.
Airport Congestion Cited.
Pointing out that National Air
port now is unduly congested.
the paper said that, in instru-
ment weather, 1t "just cannot be-
gin to handle the volume Of