Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-02-16
Turnpike Plans
ace0pposition
|Of Merchants
$500 Million Virginia
Highway Sponsored
By Private Concern
BY the Assoeioted Press

RICHMOND. Va. Feb. 16.-A
proposal to build'a inulti-million-
dollar super highway across Vir-
GINA to speed north and south
traffic may face stiff opposition.
Tentative plans call for the
highway to extend from just
west Of Washington to the
Greensville Brunswick County
area along the North Carolina
line.
It would be a toll road con-
structed at a cost of about 5000
million by a private concern
headed by John j. Wicker, jr..
Richmond lawyer
Once paid for, the highway
would be turned over to the
State to become part of the pub
lie highway system.
The turnpike would nearly
parallel U. S. route /, the States
main north-south artery.
| AOSS OL 4Tduc reared.
It's this fact that promises to
produce the brunt of opposition
to the plan. Merchants whose
places Of business are along route
fear the loss of customers.
Vert Faulkner of Glasgow.
president Of the Virginia Cham
Der Of Commerce, expressed an
other fear when he said the
States tourist industry might be
hurt, too. =.
my personal feeling is that
Tourists would shoot right
through the State on a turnpike
like that" he said. "They would
move through so fast they prob
ably wouldn't stop and visit the
historic spots in Virginia the way
they do now"
City merchants would be at.
fected, too, inasmuch as the
highway would go around Rich
mond, Fredericksburg, Peters,
burg, Emporia and Lawrenceville.
Many Officials Praise Plan.
In most of these cities, the pro-
posed turnpike was greeted with
praise by city officials. However,
a few reserved comment until
they can give the matter study.
Most of them indicated that
business interests probably will
offer staunch opposition.
The firm that is backing the
turnpike plan will be known as
the Virginia Interstate Turnpike
Corp. It planned to seek a
charter from the State Corpora
ton Commission today.
Getting the charter was ex.
pected to be little more than q
Formally.
But getting approval of the
State Highway Commission, the
next step, loomed as far more
than a formality. The COM
mission must deem the project
beneficial to the States system
of roadways before giving it
approval.
Other Officials of Firm.
With Mr.. Wicker as head of
the firm, other officials will be:
L. Mccarthy Down, chairman
OF the State Compensation
Board, vice president; John GAL
leher Of Manassas. lawyer and
newspaper publisher, secretary,
and Overton Dennis. Richmond
industrialist, treasurer.
The board of directors includes
the chairmen of both the State
Senate and House of Delegates
Roads Committees-State Sena-
tor M. M. Hillard, Portsmouth
attorney, and Delegate William
H. Irvine. Campbell County saw
mill operator.
Other directors include State
Senator Benjamin T. Pitts Of
Fredericksburg, Delegate j. May
nard Magruder of Arlington,
James Bland Martin, Gloucester
lawyer; DR.. D. Lane Elder, Mayor
of Hopewell; Raleigh M. FELTON,,
South Boston building executive:
Thomas G. Tinsley, jr., of Balti-
more, president of Baltimore Ra-
dio Station WITH and Rich
mond Station WLEE; D. Thomas
Bailey. building supplies execu-
tive Of Wendell, N. c., and VIM
S. Miller. Dillsburg. Pa. engi-
neer, consulting expert with
thu aaaerrl..n A..