Evening star., 1950-01-15
South Capitol
Bridge0pened
By Gen. Young
Called One of Most
AeuteIy Needed
D. c. Improvements

Capitol Street Bridge was opened
to traffic yesterday morning after
a brief dedication ceremony at
which Engineer Commissioner
Gordon r. Young said it was one
of the most acutely needed i'm
provements in Washington.
AS Gen. Young spoke, planes
from the Naval Air Station at
Anacostia roared over his head
to land on the nearby field and
drowned out his words.
Minutes after traffic started
over the bridge. a small tie-up re-
suited as the span opened to let
Navy tug pass.
II think it probable that traffic
congestion will develop at some
unexpected place as always hap
pens when you open up a new
route" Gen. Young commented.
He said studies already are under
way to check automobile traffic
on streets leading into the ap-
proaches of the new $5,400, 900
span.
Another Bridge Urged.
In his speech Gen. Young said
he regarded the bridge as the big
gest single public improvement
which has taken place since he
has been on the Board of Com
missioners.
"The next urgent project is to
get one more bridge across the
Anacostia River" he declared. I
hope the location will be settled
soon so we can go ahead with the
construction"
Gen. Young favors placing the
next bridge over the river at East
Capitol street. a view not shared
by staff members of the National
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission. The site the commission
staff favors is. at Massachusetts
avenue.
The Engineer Commissioner told
the crowd of more than 500 per-
sons that the District still suffered
from a lack of adequate public
works.
This was caused by the lack of
construction during World War
II and the 40 per cent increase in
the population of the District
during that period. Catching up on
the backlog is the biggest job fac
ing the Commissioners. he added.
Recent improvements Cited.
On the optimistic side, however,
he pointed out that more than
500, 100000 has been spent on
capital improvements Iii the Dis
trict in the four years since the
war. b
He said he was aware that resi-
dents east of the Ar1acostia River
felt they were neglected by the
District. This is not a justified
feeling, he continued, adding:
Your area has run away from
us so fast that it took longer to
catch up
The new bridge will stimulate
opening of new areas in nearby
Maryland and give a large area
OF the District, one third of the
land east of the Anacostia, direct
access to the heart of Washington
he declared. 1t will mean relief for
the 1ammed Eleventh street
bridge ana to a lesser extent. to
the Pennsylvania avenue bridge
he added.
The new span is located at the
foot Of South Capitol street. The
eastern end of the bridge is al
most adjacent to the entrance to
the Naval Air Station in Ana
costa. and one landing approach
planes may make to the field
brings the planes directly over
the structure.
IWlnS Gut Ribbon.
A ribbon stretching across one
OF the eastern approaches of the
bridge was out during yesterdays S
ceremony by 12-year-old twin sis
ters. They were Della Mae and
Mary Lou Randall of 125 Moi1ican
drive, Forest Hills, Md@
District Budget Officer Walter
L. Fowler was master of cere-
monies. Short speeches were
made by George L. Gregg, chair
man of the special dedication
committee of citizens. who ar
ranged the celebration, and Joseph
v. Moran, president of the South
east Council OF, Citizens Associa-
tions, who accepted the bridge for
the citizens of the District.
Representative Sasscer, Demo-
crat, of Maryland, also spoke
briefly. He said he also regarded
the bridge as "one of the most
important public improvements
launched in the area in wears"