Evening star., 1952-10-23
Potomac Bridge Confusion

Intervention by the National Park Service
In the Potomac bridge controversy adds a new
complication to an already confused puzzle.
There are now so many proposed sites for the
next bridge across the river that only Congress
can untangle the mess And this new battle of
the bridges" promises to be even more heated
than those which Congress has been called on to
arbitrate in the recent past. The unfortunate
thing about the growing squabble is that it dims
the prospect of any early action toward providing
relief for the thousands of motorists who must
cross the river every day on todays overloaded
bridges
The interest of the National Park Service in
the bridge program arises from the fact that
Federal park property is involved in the pro-
posals for new river crossing between central
Washington and Virginia. The engineering
report just released by NPS officials reflects that
interest. To the harassed motorists confronted
with rush-hour jams on the existing bridges an
additional bridge is sorely needed means Of
relieving recurring botteneckS. To the park
authorities another bridge between the Memorial
Bridge and Key Bridge. as proposed by the Dis
trict Highway Department and firm of con-
sulting engineers, would be trespasser in park
areas on both sides of the river that should be
resisted to the limit. There is logic in both
views. Trying to reach an acceptable compromise
presents formidable difficulties.
The National Capital Planning Commission
has before it the street proposal and an adverse
report on it from its own consultants, Harland
Bartholomew and Associates. The latter firm,
whose advice is known to carry great weight with
the commission recommends, instead bridges at
Nebraska avenue, above Key Bridge and between
Alexandria and Shepherds Point. The NPS
consultantS, Clarke and Rapuano, also oppose an
street location for bridge, largely on esthetc
grounds If there must be a crossing from
central Washington to Arlington, they say,
sideration should be given either to tunnel
somewhere between the Memorial and Key
Bridges or to a bridge from Georgetown to
Rosslyn, paralleling the present Key structure.
The tunnel, while more costly than bridge,
would have the virtue of avoiding interference
with plans of the Roosevelt Memorial Associa-
ton for development of Roosevelt Island. The
association is fighting vigorously against the
construction of any bridge across or close to the
scenic island off the Rosslyn shore. What its
attitude would be toward another bridge to
Rosslyn, downstream from Key Bridge, is yet to
be determined
While the bridge proposals pile up, however,
traffic over the Fourteenth street, Memorial and
Key Bridges is piling up also. The one-way Four
teenth street spans now carry more traffic daily
than any tWo-Way bridge in the world, according
to recent traffic counts. AS residential subdivisions
and apartment projects continue to add new
residents across the river, the prospect Of even
heavier loads on the existing bridges Is seen.
Some additional means of facilitating the flow
of automobiles between Washington and Arng
ton must be provided in the near future, either
by bridge or tunnel projects. Bridges at Alexan-
dria or above Key Bridge will not afford the
relief that is needed now or that will be needed
with increasing urgency later. How to provide
this relief without marring the long-range pro-
gram for preserving the beauty of the Potomac
River is admittedly a tough problem. 1t is
becoming evident that a compromise solution is
not likely to be found without the aid of Congress.
Hearings ought to be scheduled on the vexing
bridge problem by the appropriate congressional
committees as soon as practicable after the next
session conVeneS,