Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-08-01
By John w. Thompson. j.,

u 80 ~ = sssC~CHsf SsN
a bridge at q street and the
planners for one downstream
at Reaches 'Run-with the re-
suit that only a non -contro-
versial bridge much farther
downstream at Jones Point
cleared the House.
The situation seemed due for
a repeat performance before
the Senate.
Then Chairman Case of the
Senate District Committee
stepped in. He drafted a COM
promise downtown bridge that
would have fed into New
Hampshire avenue instead of
p street and touched only a
tip of Theodore Roosevelt Is
land - that tiny wilderness
memorial to T. r. in mid-river
donated to Uncle Sam by the
Theodore Roosevelt Associa-
ton for a natural sanctuary
It was the association which
dealt some Of the most damag-
ing blows to the E street pro-
posal. Senator Case went to
New York to try to sell the
association on his compromise.
He failed at the time but sue
ceeded even better than per-
haps he himself knew. He haG
impressed the warning camps
with his determination to get a
downtown bridge of some sort
now--not tomorrow but To-Day.
Some time later at a meet
ing of the National Capital
Planning Commission Gen.
Prentiss-an ex officio men,
ber-suggeSted to Chairman
Harland Bartholomew that
they get together without
their stats ana see what could
be worked out. MIR. Bartnolo-
NEW was willing.
Inner Belt Accord
What probably cracked the
impasse between the two
groups was reaching accord on
a proposed inner belt by which
through traffic would be able
to bypass or move around the
central downtown area.
Almost the core Of the
planners objection to an h
street span had been that it
would cut across their sug-
gested inner belt instead Of
feeding into it. The Federal
Park Service also was opposed
to the District plan that the
west leg of the inner belt
should go through Rock Greek
Park. After conferences with
his staff Gen. Prentiss was
able to suggest a freeway UP
Twenty-fourth street NV.
instead of through the park
and this was close to the
Twenty-third street leg the
planners had been thinking
about.
When he and Mr.. Bartholo-
new had worked out Q few
more changes in the belt. the
planning commission chair
man withdrew his objection
to a downtown bridge that
would miss Roosevelt Island
and tie into Twenty-fourtn
street.
In the meantime, Gen.
PrentiSs had long felt that the
proposed replacement of the
old Highway bridge South
boundl had been planned too
far upstream. This would be
the second of the twin bridges,
only one of which has been
built. Instead of replacing the
present Highway span. why
not build it downstream about
at Reaches Run and tie into
the Southwest freeway? This
sounded good to the planners.
The result was the compromise
for which Senator Case has
obtained the blessing of his
Senate District Committee.
Senate approval Of the Jones
Point Twenty fourth street
bridge bill will send it back to
the House which is expected
to concur In the s. enate
amendment adding the down.
town span. theh send the whole
package to the President.
It was q major development.
this compromise, the first. IN
many years between the ira
ditionally warning District
Building and the Planning
Commission. It developed from
the persistence Of Senator
Case, the initiative Of Gen.