Evening star., 1953-10-11
Top Aides. Take
First-Hand Look
Al Route 24O
Officials Involved
In Dispute Tour
Proposed Extension


officials concerned with the
controversy over the extension of
Route 240 through portions of
Rock Creek Park got together
yesterday for a first-hand look
at the land sites involved.
The informal tour was ar
ranged by Donald E. Gingery,
Montgomery County member of
the Maryland National Capital
Park and Planning Commission.
The Maryland planning group,
in sharp conflict with the Ma
tional Capital Planning Com
mission, has backed up the Mary
land State Roads Commission in
its proposal to extend southeast
leg of 240 through Maryland
portions of the park and across
North Chevy Chase to terminate
at the East-West highway.
Brings Officials Together.
1t is the eventual intention
that the roadway should extend
through District parts of the
park to downtown Washington.
Perhaps the most important
result of the informal tour yes
terday was that it brought to-
gether for the first time the
principal and top-level officials
of the various agencies involved
in the controversy over Route
240. Up to this time, the debate
has been conducted largely
through exchange of letters or
press statements prepared by the
staff of the National Capital
Planning Commission, the In
terror Department and the
Maryland State Roads Com
mission.
With Commission Chairman
Harland Bartholomew, Under
secretary of the Interior Ralph
Tudor and Maryland Roads
Commissioner Russell H. Nc
Cain sitting together in an, au-
tomobile examining map
spread across their knees, while
travelling along the proposed
Route 240, it was probable that
more mutual understanding of
the problem was gained than in
months of letter writing and
statement issuing.
Hopeful of Solution.
The meeting yesterday pre-
pared the way for the commits
sion meeting October %, when
Maryland's highway and plan
ming authorities will sit down
with the National Capital Plan
ming Commission members and
seek to reach agreements per-
mitting construction of the
highways to proceed.
1t was Mr.. Gingery who in
vited all parties to the dispute
to make the trip in the hope x:
resolving differences. He said
afterward that he was hopeful
solution would be ironed out
at the meeting at the end of
this month.
Making the trip were Mr..
Gingery, Mr.. Mccain, Mr.. Bar
tholomew, District Engineer
Commissioner Lewis w. Prentiss,
Mr.. Tudor, A. B. Mckee, new
member Of the Maryland
planning group, and B. M. Nc
Kelway, editor of The Star, who
was invited to make the tour as
an observer.
Inspect Proposed Route.
The tour started with a look
at District streets slated for i'm
provement to handle the in
creased traffic volume which
would pour out of the park if |
the roadway were built. It fol-
lowed the proposed route along
the eastern edge of the park as
far north as Colorado avenue,
then along the parks western
edge to the District line and
north to Wisconsin avenue.
The officials also examined
Maryland park areas affected by
the proposed intercounty belt |
highway across Montgomery and |
Prince Georges Counties. Mr..
Gingery stressed that park areas
must be used for the roadways !
and said delays in construction !
will o,oly irocrea CO tho coStS