Evening star., 1954-06-16

Mop Showing Proposed Site for Central
Areo Bridge. Pose AT
~~-
meeting today with District En-
gineer Commissioner Louis w.
Prentiss and Harland Bartholo-
NEW, chairman of the National
Capital Planning Commission.
The planners and District
highway officials have been
locked in conflict over a central
area bridge site. the planners
favoring a span at Reaches Run
and the highway experts holding
out for one at E street NV.
Strongest count against the e
street location was that it would
cross Roosevelt Island. Members
of the Roosevelt Memorial As
sociation, with strong Capitol
Hill backing, contend this would
violate purposes for which the
island was dedicated as a will
derneSS and wildlife sanctuary.
Senator Case told reporters he
hoped his proposal would answer
these complaints and that 1t
would be cheaper than the E
street bridge and fulfill traffic
functions just as well or better.
The new Case bridge, on the
District side of the Potomac,
would hit the same general area
as the E street proposal, but be
in line with New Hampshire ave-
nue. instead of E street.
Crossing the river on the same
line, it would pass beyond the
down-river tip of Roosevelt Is
land, cross small. partially
submerged island known as
South Island and continue to
the Virginia shore to tie in with
Arlington boulevard and Jeffer-
son Davis highway.
Large Parking Area.
At Columbia Island on the
Virginia shore, Senator Cases
plan calls for a large parking
area near the river and near the
bridge terminus. This parking
area would connect to south
island with a footbridge. An
other footbridge, beneath the
main river span. would connect
South Island to Roosevelt Island.
Senator Case said he had not
had a chance yet to see if the
proposal would meet objections
of the Roosevelt Association. A
similar ideaa was mentioned at
bridge hearings held by House
subcommittee recently but was
not studied extensively. At that
time some planning officials felt
a crossing of South Island prob
ably would be Objectionable.
Senator Case said he gave a
sketch of the plans to Gen. Prem
tiSs and Mr.. Bartholomew and,
will transmit it formally to the
planning commission in a day
or so. Gen. PrentiSs and Mr..
Bartholomew declined comment
as they left today'S closed-door
meeting.
It was understood that they
would examine the proposed site
on visit to the island today.
Advantages Listed.
Senator Case told reporters his
proposal appeared to have these
advantages over an E street To-
cation:
l. 1t would not touch Roose-
velt Island. but would make the
island much more accessible to
the public.
2. 1t would use New Hamp-
shire avenue and other North
west streets TO better advantage
and would be less expensive
(no specific figure was cited)
than the $32 million E street
project.
8. 1t would more fully use
road systems on the Virginia
side.
4. It would be a 1ow-level
bridge, answering complaints
made that the E street span
would have submerged the
monumental character Of the
Lincoln Memorial area.
Senator Case noted that the
high-level E street bridge would
have a height of 81 feet. The
span he envisions would be only
about Is feet above ground over
South Island, raising in height
over the District side. This
would require a draw or swing
span, not envisoned in the E
street bridge, to permit vessels
! to pass.