Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-03
Agreement Reached
On Jones Point Span
As Second Choice
By George Beveridge

WaShington'S road builders
and planners were agreed today
on a "second-choice" compro-
mise in the event that neither
can win clear-cut victory in
their bitter Potomac River bridge
fight.
The alternate program calls
for immediate construction of a
Jones Point alexandria, bridge,
immediate replacement of the
50-year-old trestle-topped Four
tenth Street Bridge and major
improvements to other existing
bridges and city streets which
serve them.
The conditional agreement
came about when the National
Capital Planning Commission
decided yesterday that if Con-
gress rejects its Reaches Run
bridge proposal, it will support
a nine-point alternate plan Sug-
gested by Brig. Gen. Louis w.
Prentiss, District Engineer Com
missioner
First Choice Battle.
Gen. PrentiSs, earlier this week,
had proposed the nine-point
attack on bridge congestion on
precisely the same basis. He
told a House District subcommit-
tee he was recommending the al
ternate program in the event
Congress refuses to authorize an
E street bridge.
After the commission meeting
Gen. Printiss and Harland Bar
tholomeW, Planning Commission
chairman. stressed that neither
is giving an inch on their main
proposals
The planners still want
Reaches Run. and steadfastly
oppose the E street project. The
District Highway Department
still contends the E street prof.
ect is the best answer to bridge
Snarls, and is unalterably against
Reaches Run.
But if Congress rejects both
proposals-and some officials on
both sides feel Congress will
then each is willing to go along
with the alternate program as
the next best thing.
Accept With Reservations.
Actually the planners them
selves proposed parts of the nine
point program last May. And
they only agreed to Gen Prem
tiss' entire plan Gin principle"
with certain reservations.
But the fact that the two
groups are united on even a
second-choice plan puts them
closer together on single
bridge proposal than they have
been for years.
Mr.. Bartholomew said each of
the nine points was voted on and
approved separately by the COM
mission. of which Gen. Prentiss
is a member. The approval was
given lin principle" because the
planners want the right TO APP
prove the specific design of each
project when it is drawn up.
Some are certain to be contro-
Versial.
The planners also attached an
extra condition to one of the
projectS-a District plan that
calls for span over the WASH
ington Channel to connect the
proposed Southwest (F street,
freeway with Ohio drive and the
two Fourteenth street bridges.
Would Protect Site.
The condition, Mr.. Bartholo-
NEW said. was that the channel
span be designed so that it
would not preclude the future
possibility of a Reaches Run
bridge, located just downriver
from the Fourteenth Street
Bridge network. Existing District
designs for the channel span, the
planners feel. would block such
q bridge,
In addition. the planners in
sisted that the Southwest free
way. slated for early conStruc-
tion and planned for six lanes.
be designed so it could be Wild
ened to eight lanes.
MI. Bartholomew said he
hoped to transmit the commits
sion's action next week to the
House District subcommittee.
headed by Representative
Kearns. Republican. of Pennsyl-
vania, which has held hearings
on bills for bridges at E street,
Jones Point and Reaches Run.
Az tho com a ttV1ae tho oo,.a~a;-