Evening star., 1952-12-02
Regional Planners
Agree on Equal Need
OF Two New Bridges

The National Capital Regional
Planning Commission has come to
an agreement on the need for
two new bridges across the Poto-
mac River and may be able to
stall off a new battle of the
bridges"
The council met yesterday and
urged immediate construction of
/. A bridge across the Potomac
River at Jones Point. This bridge
would give Washington another
connection with Alexandria anc
tie in with circumferential high
ways planned for the District.
2. A bridge somewhere between
the present Memorial Bridge and
Key Bridge to give relief to those
two spans.
The council did not give either
bridge priority over the other
Both are needed Immediately, the
resolutions said. The Jones Point
bridge was approved unanimously
while the central bridge had one
dissenting vote.
Proposed Site Not Approved.
E street has been recommended
as the site of the central bridge
by an engineering firm retained by
the District Commissioners. But
this site was not approved by the
council and the matter will be
given further study.
Brig. Gen. Bernard L. Robin
son, District Engineer Commits
sioner, had to wage a strong fight
to get approval of a central bridge
He and members of the District
Highway Department argued that
such a span would not bring more
traffic into downtown Washing
ton, but would help only that
which enters the city now.
Possible sites under considera-
ton for the central bridge include
at the end of H street or at the
end Of Constitution avenue.
A battle over the location of the
bridges-E street in particular
had been looming. An engineering
report prepared for the National
Capital Planning Commission rec
commended strongly against such
q span. So did a National Capital
Parks engineering report.
May Decide Soon.
The NCPC will meet on Decem-
Der IL and IL and is expected to
reach some decision on the loca-
tion Of the bridges then. The Re-
gional Council, which met yester-
day, is a new body which includes
representatives of the District,
Maryland and Virginia.
If q united front can be OBJ
tanned, the District Commissioners
feel they will have an easier time
getting Congress to appropriate
the necessary funds.
The Jones Point bridge would
hit Alexandria just north of Hunt
ing Towers. Rejected by the
council was an alternate site for
an Alexandria bridge at Shepherd s
Landing.
The Jones Point Bridge would
cost around $19,898, 900, according
to one engineering survey. The
Regional Council was discussing
this bridge in terms of a Federal
project. 1t actually would be in
three jurisdictions as it would be-
gin in Maryland, out through part
of the Potomac River which is in
the District and then into Vir-
ginia.
More Than $22 Million.
A bridge at the E street site
would run about $22,310,000.
A number Of observers attend
ed the Regional Council meeting.
Among them were Representative
elect Broyhill, Republican, of
Arlington; Representative elect
Small. Republican, of Maryland
and Robert c. Albrook. admins
trative assistant to Senator Case,
of South Dakota
Senator Case is slated to head the
Senate District Committee.
The Regional Council will sub
nit reports on its bridge recon-
mendations to the NCPC for its
study.