Evening star., 1950-01-26
Planners Open
Debate on Site
For New Bridge
Gen. Young Presents
Case for Location on
Eost Copito! Street

East Copito! Street
The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission was hearing
arguments today from the Dis
trict and its own staff prepara-
tory to voting on whether the next
bridge across the AnacoStia River
should be at East Capitol street
or Massachusetts, avenue.
Aside from the actual vote and
another matter described as being
of a confidential nature" the
bridge discussion was opened to
the press in an unusual move. The
planning commission meetings at
the Interior Department usually
are conducted behind closed doors.
Engineer Commissioner Gordon
r. Young. who advocates East
Capitol street as the bridge loca-
ton, was the first speaker. The
District is seeking more than
S4.000.000 in the 1851 budget for
a start on the new bridge.
New Underpass Studied.
Gen. Young disclosed during
the discussion that the District
has been studying the possibility
of new underpass in the vicinity
of Fifteenth and H streets NE
possibly even a double underpaSs
which might cost from $4,000, 900
to $6,OO0,OOO.
The disclosure came when mem
bers of the planning commission
raised the question of whether
studies Gen. Young was citing in
connection with the proposed
bridge really evaluated bridge
capacities or the approach street
situation.
He was asked how much the
load on the Benning Bridge could
be increased if bad bottlenecks at
each side were eliminated.
Gen. Young said this load could
be increased materially and then
went on to say that the District
had gone so far as to study a
double underpass. He estimated
this might bring the bridge
capacity up 25 per cent.
Gen. Young presented figures
from a preliminary traffic study
made shortly after the recent
opening of the South Capitol
street bridge which indicated the
Benning and Sousa Bridges are
carrying total overload of
10,167 cars a day, and the Ana
costa and South Capitol street
span have an underload totaling
32,367 cars.
Overload on North Bridges.
This STUDY indicates, he pointed
out, that the overload is on the
two northern bridges while the
two southern bridges are carrying
under-capacity traffic.
Gen. Young also cited data
from the 1948 Metropolitan Area
transportation study which he
said indicated 43 per cent of all
persons east of the Anacostia in
the area surveyed. wanted to cross
the river north of Fort Dupont
Park and 81 per cent south of it.
1t is obvious, Gen. Young said,
that a bridge at East Capitol
street would serve that 43 more
directly than one at Massachu-
setts avenue.
The present distribution of
bridge capacity is now % per cent
north and u south, he added
Building the bridge at MaSsachu-
setts avenue would put II per cent
of the total capacity at the north
and 83 per cent at the south, he
pointed out.
Building the bridge at East
Capitol street, on the other hand
would make the ratio As per cent
north and 81 per cent south.
Gen. Young presented the first
cost estimates which have been
made on the proposed bridges
His figures indicated the bridge
would cost from $8,702,500 te
$12,046,000 if placed at East Capt.
tol street while a Massachusetts
avenue bridge would cost from
$6,57s,000 to $9,290,000.
Cost Question Brought Up.
The difference, he declared
while material, lis not in my
Judgment enough to justify build
ing the bridge at Massachusetts
avenue if East Capitol street is
otherwise justified"
The cost question was brought
up by Maj, Gen. U. S. Grant III
chairman emeritus of the com.
mission. He made brief state
ment.
A bridge at East Capitol street
would go over the widest place
in the river. he said.
He pointed out also that the
question could not be reduced
simply to whether the bridge
should go at East Capitol OF
Massachusetts avenue, because
both sides consider that two
bridges eventually will be needed
He pointed out that the High
way Department said that, ir
addition to the East Capito
street bridge. another span will
be called for somewhere between
Pennsylvania avenue and Elev'
enth street.
The commission staff has con-
templated. in addition to a bridge
at Massachusetts avenue, future
crossing at NJ street.
Gen. Grant also brought up tht
hazard to the planned recreation
area, where large crowds could &c
without cluttering up arteria'
highways. Gen. Young interposeo
that the District had worked. out
its plan so that the East Capito
street proposal would not inter-
fere with the proposed sesquicen.
tennial project.