Evening star., 1949-10-06
30-Mi|e-an-HouI
Speed Limit SET
For orFreeway
No-Porking Signs
Put Up on Artery,
To Open Saturday

10 OpeH SutuTouy
The speed limit on the White
hurst FreeWay, which officially
opens at 2 pm. Saturday. will be
30-miles-an-hour, officials said
today in revealing traffic plans for
the new structure.
The Department of Vehicles and
Traffic already is placing no-park-
ing signs along the mile-long
route, as we'll as signs to guide the
motorists Alright on the new traffic
artery. The Freeway runs from
Rock Greek to Key Bridge and is
designed to speed traffic between
downtown Washington and Mary
land and Virginia. It is named in
honor of the late Herbert c. White
hurst, District director of high
ways.
The District Commissioners have
arranged for the official opening
program at the Freeway and
Twenty-seventh street NV. at 2
pm. Saturday. At the same time,
at the Rosslyn plaza on the Vir-
ginia side of Key Bridge. a similar
program will start under auspices
of the Arlington Chamber Of
Commerce. A parade will be held
over the newly-opened Freeway to
the Rosslyn plaza and return.
Program Outlined.
The program at Twenty-seventh
street follows:
The Metropolitan Police Band,
Capt. Charles Benter conducting,
will begin musical program at
lis pm. Kay Dewitt. vocalist
at the Capitol Theater. will sing
several selections.
At 2 pm, George V. Graham,
chairman of the highway COM
mittee of the Washington Board
Of Trade, will open the program.
The master of ceremonies will be
Charles M. Upham. engineer -di-
rector of the American Road
Builders Association. P. Y. K.
Howat, chairman of the District
Motor Vehicle Parking Agency,
will introduce the guests.
Speeches will be made by Com
missioner John Russell Young,
president of the Board of District
Commissioners Commissioner Guy
Mason and Brig. Gen. Gordon r.
Young. the Engineer Commits
Sioner.
The four-year-old grand -daugh-
ter of Capt. Whitehurst, Maria
Whitehurst Brownett, will cut the
ribbon that will officially open the
F'reeway. Mrs. Whitehurst. the
late directors widow. also will
participate in the ceremony.
Rosslyn Plaza Program.
The program at the Rosslyn
plaza follows:
Two pm, music by the Army
Band. Capt. Hugh Curry. leader,
and by the Washington-Lee
Cadet Band. Harold RIbenstein,
leader. Sidney r. Johnston. pres
ident of the Arlington Chamber
of Commerce, will preside. The
master of ceremonies will be
Theodore M. Forne, chairman of
the Whitehurst Freeway Celebra-
ton Committee.
New traffic lights are being in
stalled at the west end of the
Freeway to guide motorists to
Canal road and M street. No
traffic lights are planned at the
east end of the project, but new
lights have been set up at
Twenty sixth and K streets NV.
The United States Park Police
permit traffic to go southbound
only in lower Rock Creek Valley
from 7 to $50 am. and north
bound from 4 to $50 pm. Any
turns to and from the Freeway
that will interfere with this mass
movement will be barred by block
ing off traffic at those points.
To Permit Right Turns.
A new road will permit traffic
southbound in lower Rock Greek
valley to make a right-hand turn
to Pennsylvania avenue, near
Twenty eighth street NV. South
bound traffic in the Rock Creek
and Potomac Parkway, desiring to
get on the Freeway. will have to
take this road and turn south at
Twenty sixth street, then west on
K to the Freeway. The engineers
explained there was not room
enough to build a ramp to get
southbound traffic from the valley
to the FreeWay.
1t will not be possible to go south
on Twenty-seventh street across
M street, as this would interfere
with Freeway traffic. To avoid
this, the engineers have placed
traffic island" in the way. But
here Twenty-seventh street, just
north of K street. is but a block
long.
Inspector Arthur E. Miller of the
Traffic Division of the Police De-
partment said police will give spe-
cial attention to Washington Circle
at K street and Twenty-seventh
street and Virginia avenue NV,
due to the expected effect of Free
way traffic at those points.
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