Evening star., 1951-01-04
Memorial Bridge Gets
Asphalt Paving After
Immediate Repairs
By Nelson M. Shepard

Decision has finally beer
reached to smooth the rough sur
face of Arlington Memorial Bridge
with ordinary asphalt paving in
stead Of replacing the old granite
blocks Of the roadway.
Settlement of a long-standing
controversy between the aesthetic
granite and the more practical
asphalt-involving at least three
Federal agencies - will release
$207 900 appropriated a year age
for repairs to the important Po-
tomac span.
While the controversy ragged
motorists who make $4,000 cross
ings on an average work day have
found the going rougher and more
dangerous. Many were beginning
to despair of relief.
Immediate Action.
Temporary relief will come
Immediately" the National Cap
ital Parks assured, when the worst
holes and depressions are filled in
with rock asphalt pending COM
pietion of a permanent resurfac-
ing job. NCP has requested the
Public Roads Administration to
proceed with the job as promptly
as the weather permits.
After months of stalemate, the
Commission of Fine Arts was
called in to act as arbiter in the
dispute over asphalt versus gran
ite blocks. That body, which
favored granite blocks at the time
Memorial Bridge was built,
dumped the question back into
the laps of park and road officials
Harry T. Thompson, associate
superintendent of National Capt.
tai Parks who carried the torch of
aestheticism throughout the fight,
said. 1--WE are hopeful the resur-
facing job will be completed be-
fore the Spring tourist season
opens"
To Enlarge Islands.
After the temporary asphalt
job is done. engineers will enlarge
and extend the existing traffic
island at each end of the bridge.
This will permit more rapid flow
OF traffic. voiding a slight bottle
neck.
Next, the Federal road officials
will remove the present granite
paving blocks and substitute as
phalt paving. A contract will
have to be let. This probably will
result in further delay as bills
are invited and studied. Once
the contract is awarded, the job
will be done quickly. Mr.. Thomp-
son said. H. j. Spelman, district
engineer for the Public Roads Ad-
ministration. will have charge OF
construction.
Despite one bad traffic accident
two years ago, Investigations show
Memorial Bridge is about as safe
for traffic as Highway or Key
Bridges. The granite blocks, how.
ever. have worn smooth and thin
They are slippery In wet weather
end skidding is the worst danger
offered. Mr.. Thompson sought q
way TO correct this by roughenine
the smooth surface.
Motorists also contend the road.
ped, itself, is so uneven that many
refuse to use the bridge on daily
trips to and from work.
New Curbing to Wait.
The road officials held out fol
asphalt. After the Fine Arts Com.
mission declined to take a definite
stand in favor of granite blocks
Mr.. Thompson and the Nationa.
Park Service threw in the towel
The Fine Arts Commission, it was
said, found the proposed retention
Of granite in line with its general
policy of upholding the aesthetics
But in view of the safety involved
and the need for expediency, il
placed no obstacle in the way o1
the highway officials.
The situation was usual because
Congress had provided the needed
appropriation. This remained un.
spent for months during the con.
troversy. Mr.. Thompson. who il
in charge of such matters of NCP
said the asphalt surfacing woule
not require the full $207, 900.
Officials said the installation
of new curbing on the bridge
should be held up on account Of
the need of saving money, ma.
terials and manpower. Work or
the regular repaving job shoule
be started about the end o1
March IL uas said