Evening star., 1952-08-28
Reports Clash
On Location Of
3 New Bridges
D. c. Heads Survey
Differs Sharply With
PIons Commission
By Colt HendIey, Jr.

Uy SOIt TIeHoleys ~.
The Commissioners today re-
leased an engineering report
recommending construction OF
three new bridges over the Poto-
mac River, with top priority for
a span at E street over Theodore
Roosevelt Island.
Another battle of the bridges
loomed Immediately, as the Ma
tional Capital Planning Commits
sion released its study, denounc.
ing the E Street Bridge.
The other two new bridges
would be:
From the District to Alexandria
leither at Shepherds Landing or
Jones Point.
From the District to Arlington
at Nebraska avenue extended.
Both studies were under taken
by private engineering firms, at
the request of the Commissioners
and the planning commission.
They are not recommendations of
either the city heads or the plan
ming commission, but are for their
guidance in making a future
decision.
Nevertheless. they effectively
draw the battle lines for contro-
versy that must be settled in the
next year.
Commission Objections.
The planning commission report
summed up its objections to the T.
street bridge this way:
"The additional traffic load
which would be imposed upon the
street system in the vicinity of its
approaches in the District, as well
as in Virginia, would aggravate an
already critical situation during
the peak traffic periods"
The report added:
Washington rapidly is an
|proaching crisis. Congestion in
the central area of the city is be-
coming critical at many points,
and the situation grows worse
daily.
"A decision soon must be made
whether to attempt further satu-
ration OF the central area by In.
PRODUCTION Of endless numbers OF
vehicles or whether to accept. i'm
lplement and carry out q basic,
integrated transportation plan.
The location Of future bridges
across the Potomac River is a
fundamental part Of such a plan"
Priority Specified.
The three bridges recommended
In the engineering report for the
Commissioners, In the order Of
priority, are:
/. The e street bridge, con-
Meeting E street and New Hamp-
shire avenue with Arlington boule-
ward. Cost of bridge and ap-
Iproaches. $22. 10000.
2. An Alexandria bridge. cross
ing the Potomac River at either
Shepherds Landing or Jones Point
with Jones Point getting first
choice. Cost Of the Shepherds
Landing Bridge, $21, ,484 900. Cost
OF Jones Point Bridge, SIS, 9,898, 900.
8. Nebraska avenue bridge, giv-
ling another crossing of the Po-
tomac River between Chain Bridge
and Key Bridge. Cost, $8,573. 900.
The report for the Commission
Iers was prepared by the firm Of
Modjeski and Masters. The plan
ming commission study was drawn
by Harland Bartholomew and AS
sociates.
The two engineering firms agree
that the present Potomac River
bridges-the double Highway
Bridges, Memorial. Key and Chain
bridges-have just about reached
their load capacity. They agree
that traffic will increase In the
future. with resulting complica-
tions.
But their approach to the solu-
ton is completely different.
The Commissioners report rec.
ommends immediate construction
of the E street bridge to give an
other crossing in the central Sec
tion. where it will be most useful.
This bridge would be between Me.
mortal and Key Bridges.
Would Bypass Downtown.
The planning commission report
said this is not the solution, since
1t would only make it easier for
more automobiles to get into
downtown Washington, where the
streets are jammed almost to ca
pacity during peak hours now.
The planning commission report
recommended that no more bridges
be built that would lead trafiic
into the center of the city. In
stead 1t recommended immediate
work on the long-range highway
plan for the District, which con-
templates express highways around
the perimeter of the central busi-
(See BRIDGES. Page A-5J
40 Hiuh Schools to Put