Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-08-18
Central Bridge
Tie Into
18th Street

18th Street
Exoct Site Uncertain
AS Officiuls Iron Out
Problems Of 2 Spans
Wa shington's proposed
Twenty-fourth street bridge"
over the Potomac River, author.
lied along with one at Jones
Point in q bill on its way to the
White House today. may turn
out to be a Twenty fifth street !
bridge"
This. it was learned. IS one Of
the undecided problems now be-
ing ironed out by officials of the
National Capital Planning Com
mission and the District in fixing
an exact site for the central area
bridge.
Disagree on Tie-in.
Another dispute is whether the
new bridge should tie into Con-
stitution avenue, as NCPC offi-
Gals propose, or whether District
experts will win their argument
that this simply would pour more
traffic into the same old bottles
necks without developing en-
tirely new approach roads.
The measure was approved
yesterday by the House, which
concurred without objection In
Senate amendments adding the
central area bridge to the
House-passed Jones Point bridge
bill.
Although the bill gives the
commissioners power Of decision
on the site Of the central area
bridge, a compromise engineered
by Chairman Case of the Senate
District Committee between En-
gineer Commissioner Prentiss
and NCPC Chairman Harland
Bartholomew requires them to
agree.
Seeks to Assure Accord. Z
With differences of opinion
developing at the staff level.
Gen. Prentiss recently tele-
phoned Mr.. Bartholomew-wh0
is mentioning in the Midwest
in an effort to make sure they
do not bubble UP to the execu-
tive level.
Samuel r. Harrison, the Dis
trict's deputy director of high
ways, said the central area.
bridge could tie into either
Twenty-fourth or Twenty NTH
streets NV, near Constitutions
Under terms, of the Case-s
Prentiss- Bartholomew compro-l
mise. whicheverist street is selected
would then become the west leg
of the proposed. inner loop
highway around the Districts
downtown area. h.
Jones Point Details Undecided 4
Details of the Jones Point
bridge are up in the air, too..
because the Senate shifted con-
Struction responsibility from the
District Commissioners to the
Secretary of the Interior.
Frank r. Gartside. assistant
superintendent of the National
Capital Parks, said today that
such construction usually is done
by the Bureau of Roads under,
contract with the National Park
Service. No conferences have
been held. he said. and nothing
can be said about construction
plans.
The bill authorizes $24.5 mil
lion as the cost of the central
area bridge, with construction
to be handled by the District.
Although the Washington end
of the bridge is not yet fixed.,
the Virginia side would termi-
nate on Columbia Island within.
District. jurisdiction and tie into
existing roads Of the Pentagon.
network.
If all goes smoothly, Mr.. Har-;
rison said, construction might
begin early in 1856 and be COM
pleted within two and a half
years.
He said the bridge probably
would be six lanes wide, with
center dividing strip, and with
bascule OF. draw span to let
boats pass.
Jones Point Cost Split.
Cost OF the Jones Point bridge,
which will leave the Virginia
shore just north of Hunting
Towers Apartments at the
southern end of Alexandria, 10
fixed in the bill at $l4,925, 900.
These. however, are Federal
funds to be spent only on the
actual bridge span. Total cost.
including approach roads. il
estimated at $24, 1893, 600. OF this,
Virginia would spend $685., 900,
Maryland $685.. 900 and the Dis
trict $1.2 million.
The District funds would go
principally for an extension Of
Overlook avenue to connect with
Maryland's approach roads.
which are designed to bypass
Washington entirely to the East.
When construction will start