Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-13
Farley IS NN
On Key Bridge
improvements
City Highwoy Chief
To Seek Accord With
U. S. and Virginia
By George Beveridqe

By George Beverage
The first concentrated effort
to get Federal. District and Vir-
ginia agreement on q multi
million dollar improvement pro-
gram for traff1c-snarled Key
Bridge and its connections will
be made at a meeting a week
from tomorrow.
The conference, it was learned
yesterday, has been called by
j. N. Robertson. city highway
director. for 10 am. June 81 at
the District Building.
He has sent Invitations to the
Virginia State Highway Com
mission. the Federal Bureau of
Public Roads, Arlington County.
National Capital Parks. and the
National Capital Planning Com
mission.
Will Propose Changes.
Mr.. Robertson will put before
the group new design proposals
showing proposed improvements
at each end of the span. and
drastic changes in the bridge
proper to convert the 50-foot
four-lane roadway to a six-lane
bridge.
More than q year ago. studies
showed Key Bridge was. then
exceeding its rated hourly ca
pacity of 1850 cars per lane.
Each of the two Washington
bound lanes was averaging about
1925 cars per hour during the
morning peak, with Virginia.
bound lanes carrying about 1900
cars an hour in the evening.
Gas you undoubtedly know"
Mr.. Robertson wrote the agen-
cies, conditions on this bridge
are becoming steadily worse"
He noted that the District as
part of it's long-range public
works program. intends to
finance and build the District
end improvements as well as
improvements to the bridge
proper. Since park land is in
volved on the Virginia side.
however, Federal. State and
county officials all are concerned
with improvements there.
Seeks More Data.
What we want to find out"
Mr.. Robertson said, sis how
soon we can get things rolling.
What funds are available? What
new authority is needed? What
plans should we agree on?"
He stressed the Importance of
tackling the job on both sides
of the river as part Of one
project. Even if the District
connections and the bridge it
self were improved, the span
couldn't function completely un-
til the Virginia tie-ins were
made.
The tentative plans he will
put before the group for dis
cussion purposes. the highway
chief said, are the best Of many
studies he has seen on the
bridge. He said he was in agree.
ment with some revisions, how
ever. that already have been
suggested by others.
Several Changes Likely.
Proposed improvements at the
Virginia end undoubtedly will
deal with the Rosslyn Circle
changes as well as better con-
nections to and from the George
Washington Memorial parkway.
At present, a ramp leads from the
parkway to the bridge for Wash
ington- bound traffic, but there's
no way for motorists to get from
the span to the lirnited-acceSs
water front drive.
Arlington County has waged a
strong fight to get the missing
ramp built. Early this year it
urged again that Federal funds
be earmarked for half the jobs
cost, but was told no funds were
available.
Improvements on the District
end are expected to provide better
access to and from the White
hurst freeway and to and from
M street, eliminating the trouble
some left-turn pattern onto M
street.
Generally, previous District
proposals for the bridge have
called for removal of the street.
car tracks, increasing the road
width to six traffic lanes and new
sidewalks on cantilever structures
off the bridge proper.