Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-08-09


Parks intends to start work soon
on the first lap of a project it
hopes will extend the Rock Creek
and Potomac parkway 1l2 miles
further through Rock Creek
Park to connect with Colorado
avenue, The Star learned last
night.
In the new park budget,
$685., 400 was provided for the
Mop Of Projected Porkwoy improvement.
Poee AS
first part of the job. 1t will pay
for a short extension of the park
way, from its present terminus
near the Calvert Street Bridge,
across Rock Greek on a four
lane bridge to connect with
Beach drive near the entrance to
the Zoo.
The only creek crossing now
possible from the parkway in
that area is by a ford-often
closed-juSt up-creek from the
new bridge site.
Cost Put at S2.1 Million.
Conrad L. Wirth, National
Park Service director, plans to
request money in next years
budget to finish the job. 1t calls
for tunneling through rocky
hill on Zoo property, and running
the parkway in four lanes along
the eastern edge of the park all
the way to Colorado avenue.
Officials said preliminary esti-
mates put cost of the future
extension at about $2,1 million.
Park authorities stressed that
the bridge project to begin this
year has a two-fold purpose.
The first is to provide the
needed all-weather crossing Of
the creek. AS zoo visitors well
know, the ford is a constant
Illustration to motorists. A mod
crate rainfall, raising the creek
level, is all that's needed to put
it out of commission.
officials feel that function
alone is enough to justify the
bridge and short parkway extern
sion from beneath the Calvert
street bridge to Beach drive. And
if Congress permits the further
extension of the parkway, the
bridge will have fulfilled it's sec
ond purpose-Serving as an APP
proach route over the creek.
Drivers Have 3 Choices.
AS the map shows, northbound
motorists using the parkway now
have three choices as they APP
proach the Calvert bridge. They
can turn left and get to the
Shoreham Hotel area. They can
get to Connecticut avenue via
Cathedral avenue. They can use
the ford - weather conditions
permitting and swing into
Beach drive.
In the $265, 900 project ap-
proved for this year, officials plan
to improve an existing stretch of
the parkway and build the new
creek bridge and approach.
The nearby ford will remain as
it is. Nor is any change planned
for a second ford. where Beach
drive crosses Rock Creek at
point further north in the park.
Details of the further extension
through and beyond the ZOO, off,
Gals stressed. have not been
worked out. But the map line
indicates in general it's proposed
path from Beach drive north
ward.
Hugging the park edge east of
Rock Creek, according to present
thinking, the parkway would %
tunnel for about 900 feet through
a hill near the Zoo limits, (2)
underpass Klingle road, 90 over
pass Piney Branch drive, Park
road and Blagden avenue and
"a tie into Colorado avenue.
Park Aides Oppose Plan.
The extension project could be
made eventually to fit in with
the Maryland State Roads Com
MISSIONS bitterly contested pro-
posal to extend a leg of U. S.
Route $40 through the entire
length of Rock Creek Park from
nearby Maryland.
But park officials are dead-set
against this plan, or any other
to extend the parkway beyond
Colorado avenue.
The general parkway extension
(See PARKWAY, Page A-6D
EunH