Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-12-05
Bridge Report
Proposals Win
D. {. Approval
Officials Disagree
On Some Major
Recommendations
BY George Beveridqe

~ S~Ss9S ~SVSsb9SS
District officials intend to carry
out many of the recommended
tons made in a consultants'
report last week on present and
future Potomac River bridge
needs.
But the exceptions are big ones.
The report, which both liter
ally and figuratively covered the
waterfront, was made by Wilbur
Smith g. Associates, of New
Haven, for the National Capital
Planning Commission. The find
ings are being studied for COM
ment by both city highway and
planning officials.
Here are the reports main
recommendations, and the way
the proposals stack up against
either plans on the books or city
ofiicialS' present thinking:
IMMEDIATE CONSTRUCTION.
/. Build the "inner-loop ex-
pressway" around the congested
center Of town. with priority to
the southwest (F street, free
way. The report also, said this
free-moving road system should
be developed before any new
bridge is built in order to handle
increased traffic.
Engineering consultants work.
ing for the District have begun
. six-month development of de-
tailed plans for the loop, includ-
ing traffic studies, grade sepa-
rations and costs. The engineers
were told to study it both in
terms of Cd it's ultimate devel-
opment as a limited-access
expressway and (2) it's interim
use" as a system utilizing some
existing streets while the expen-
sive improvements are being
built.
j. N. Robertson, District high
way director, said prior estimates
put cost of building the whole
route to expresway characters
tics at about $3.50 million. If
the city's entire highway funds
were applied to the loop system,
It would probably require be-
tween four and six years to
build. he said. Under present
plans. its ultimate develop
ment" probably will take between
10 and II years.
City officials want to begin
immediate work on a new
bridge. BY the time it is finished,
they expect to have an inner
loop system in operation, but
not developed entirely as an
expressway.
New "Central Bridge"
2. Build a new central
bridge" over the Potomac, either
at Constitution avenue, about
1900 feet upriver from Airing
ton Memorial Bridge, or over the
Three Sisters Islands upriver
from Key Bridge.
Congress authorized the Con-
stitution avenue bridge three
months ago, without seriously
considering the Three Sisters
site. Construction funds will be
available in the city's public
works program.
A contract is being drawn up
now for preliminary engineering
designs for the Constitution ave-
nue. bridge. About 100000 in
planning money is available.
Highway and planning officials
have agreed on the site and ten
tative unprecedented connec-
tons. A completion date prob
ably is between three and four
years away.
8. Replace the old trestle-
topped Fourteenth Street Bridge
and improve approach roads for
the newer Fourteenth street
bridge completed in 1850. Pre-
sumably, the consultants felt
the old bridges present site
should be used for the replace
lnent.
Congress has authorized the
replacement, but no money has
been sought. City engineers and
Federal planners have agreed
tentatively, however, to rebuild
1t just downriver from the Four
tenth street railroad bridge,
near Reaches Run. The idea is
that it would feed one-way
northbound traffic to Twelfth
street and that Fourteenth
street and the 1850 bridge would
serve one-way south boun d
traf1ic.
More Lanes for Key Bridge.
4. Improve Key Bridge. Re-
move streetcar and move side
walks off the bridge proper to
add two lanes: improve District
approaches. including a grade
separation at M street; improve
Virginia approaches. including
ramps from the bridge to the
George Washington Memorial
Parkway.
Mr.. Robertson has requested
$4,000 in the 1856 budget to
make the proposed bridge i'm
provements and agrees with the
approach road improvements. He
said the Virginia Department
and the National Capital Parks
have agreed to share the cost
of the bridge-parkway link.
S. Improve approach on
either side of Memorial Bridge
to increase the BRIDGES auto
capacity by an estimated 10 per,