Evening star., 1953-07-29
Two Utilities SnorI D. c. Expresswoy Plans

to prevent brutality by this
Government"
The Senate subcommittee on
District appropriations agreed.
1t amended the budget bill to
prohibit removal of the Capital
Transit tracks. This amend
ment was approved by the full
Senate.
Then, House conferees on the
budget accepted the Senate
change. Yesterday. both the
House and the Senate gave final
approval, sending the bill to the
White House.
An entirely separate bill af-
fecting the expreSSway is pending
In Congress. 1t would authorize
Pepco to build its own railroad
bridge over the expressway, to
connect the Bennlng plant and
the Pennsylvania tracks at Foote
street. With such an overpass,
Pepco would not have to rely on
Capital Transit coal-delivery
service across the avenue.
The measure is being blocked
in the Senate by the objection of
Senator Holland, Democrat, of
Florida.
Here is the position of each
principal involved in the ex-
pressway dispute:
HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT.
BY a 1850 act, Congress di-
rected acquisition Of land for
controlled-access road to in
terconnect the Baltimore Wash
ington parkway and the Wash
ington-Annapolis freeway with
the East Capitol Street Bridge,
along the Kenilworth avenue
route.
The Public Roads Bureau pol
icy for controlled-access roads
rules out railway grade cross
ings.
In its long-range program, the
Highway Department approved
the overpass and partial inter-
change at Deane avenue. The
department expects traffic be-
meath the overpasS to increase.
This will result Cd because of
the interchange, and (2) be-
cause the proposed Fort drive
around Washington will use the
intersection.
Highway planners contend
that a traffic hazard would arise
on the expressway whenever
coal cars move alongside Kenil-
worth avenue. This is based on
the assumption that inbound
vehicles would halt on the super
highway, waiting for trains to
clear the three intersections be-
tween Deane avenue and the
power plant. This would impede
fast-moving traffic and create
unnecessary hazards.
Extras Cost Seen.
To provide clearance for coal
cars beneath the overpass, the
expressway will have to be raised,
piers must be relocated and ad-
ditional land must be acquired.
Highway Department engineers
estimate the additional cost at
approximately $150.000.
The department does not know
how it will revise plans to
comply with the congressional
order sparing the tracks.
The District already has let
contracts for another project on
Kenilworth avenue. This is an
inbound underpaSS in the Foote
street-Benning road vicinity. But
the Capital Transit tracks be-
tween the Pennsylvania siding
and the Pepco plant are in the
way. If these tracks cannot be
removed, these road plans must
be revised, too.
EAST WASHINGTON
RAILWAY.
This railway contends it is a
tax-paying business which would
be destroyed by removal of tran
sit tracks. If it were forced out
OF business, there is, no provision
for adequate compensation.
The company says it sends
only four or five cars to the
Benning plant in each of two
movements a day. Traffic is
affected only a few minutes by
each movement. The trains
move slowly-not more than 10
miles an hour.
Vehicular traffic on Kenilworth
avenue is not heavy. A traffic |
count taken on April II showed |
this: Between 6 am. and 6 pm.
only 488 inbound cars turned
right onto the three streets inter-
secting Kenilworth avenue. In |
other words, that number OF
vehicles crossed the tracks.
It is argued that only a few
vehicles would stop on Kenil-
worth to wait for passing coal
cars.
Other railroad tracks are in
the vicinity: this Ia an industrial |