Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-09-26
'pldTIs 5peeded
On Key Bridge,
Parkway Links
Romps Will Help
Cars Leaving Spon
On Way to Virginia

TidlS are Oelng fuSned by Ma
tional Capital Parks to begin
construction next year on ramps
that will permit Virginia. bound
traffic to make a right turn off
Key Bridge into both traffic lanes
OF George Washington Memorial
parkway.
The Star has also learned that
in conjunction with this major
undertaking, the Federal agency
Is speeding preparation of cost
estimates for widening and 9TH
erwise improving the two exist
ing downstream roadways link
ing the bridge with the parkway.
At present no connections exist
for Virginia hound traffic seek
ing direct access to the parkway.
This traffic has been fighting its
way past Rosslyn Plaza for years
to get to the suburbs beyond.
The proposed ramps are consid-
cred the best remedy.
The projected improvements
to the existing roadways just
downriver from the bridge are
designed chiefly to ease conges-
ton.
Plan Gets Priority.
Park officials have suddenly
decided to give the project high
priority, mainly because of an
announcement by the Virginia
State Highway Department that
the State is willing and able to
pay a substantial share in the
cost of the rams construction.
Another factor was the inclu-
sion In the District budget esti-
mates for fiscal 1856 of a request
for funds to widen Key Bridge.
The Park people are squeezed
by time to get the ramp item in
their own 1856 budget so that
actual construction can begin
in the latter part of 1855.
Four-Part Program.
In broad terms, the improve
ment project consists of these
four parts:
/. Down ramp crossing over
the downstream bound traffic
lanes and tying into the up
stream-bound lanes of the park
way. This would permit Vir-
ginia-bound traffic to turn right
off Key Bridge and travel down
the ramp to merge with the
parkway lanes leading to Lor-
com lane and points farther up
river.
2. Another ramp branching of
the first. This sharply curving
roadway "pigtail," in high
way talk-would cross over the
downstream-bound traffic lanes
but would continue curving so
as to connect with those same
lanes.
Thus, Virginia bound traffic
from Key Bridge would hug the
right side of the main ramp.
move into the "pigtail," thence
into the traffic lanes headed for
Memorial Bridge and other
points downriver.
Widening of Lanes.
8. Widening to two lanes, i'm
proving the surface and LESSEN
ing the curve of the roadway
that permits downriver-bound
traffic to turn off George WASH
ington parkway, get up to Ross
lyn Plaza and into the Wash
ington-bound lanes of Key
Bridge.
4. Widening to four lanes the
two-way connecting road be-
tween Rosslyn Plaza and the
parkway. This road connects at
grade with the parkway. It re-
ceives upriver- bound traffic that
wants to reach the plaza. It
also takes plaza traffic into the
. downriver-bound lanes of the
parkway.
Harry T. Thompson. associate
superintendent of National Cap
ital Parks. said last night that
the overall project will probably
cost between $500, 900 and $780,
600.
Contributing to the expense,
Mr.. Thompson said. is the need
to relocate the parkway roads
and to remove the land-fill where
the ramps are to be built and re-
place it with more substantial
material. Much Of the present
fill is ashes, he said.
Adding to the cost are the
facts that the ramp piers must
be built at an angle to the park
way roads and that both ramp
structures will be ornamented
with stone. The ramps will con-
tain two 12-foot traffic lanes.