Evening star., 1954-12-22
Webb & Knapp
Calls for Mall
Policy Decision
Firm Also Offers
Three Highway Plans
For Southwest Areu

S.W. loomed today as the most
important step to be taken IN
planning Southwest Washing
tons redevelopment.
Ofhcials of the New York firm
Of Webb & Knapp. who want to
conduct the vast rebuilding
project. pressed the National
Capital Planning Commission
for such a decision in a new
request yesterday.
At the same time, the New
Workers gave Federal and Dis
trict planning technicians three
alternate highway plans. all In
tended to show that big volumes
Of traffic could be handled
through the Southwest with
out sending them over the Tenth
street route.
AS long ago as last March,
Webb & Knapp said its rede-
velopment proposal would fatty
require having the mall like
Tenth street system preserved
as a Southwest entrance that
would handle only traffic to
and from that area.
Wants Firm Decision.
Yesterday closed-do ses-
sion was devoted mainly to how
this could be worked out traffic
wise. But Webb a. Knapp off,
eials reportedly sought a firm
and fast policy decision on
whether the commission ap-
proves Of the Tenth-street mall
idea.
The New Yorkers, it was
understood. requested that if
possible the matter be taken up
at the commissions January 6
meeting.
The oral request backed up a
letter writer. to the commission
earlier this week by the firms
president. William Zeckendorf.
The letter asked for agreement
also on about dozen other basic,
planning principles. most of
which the commission itself
proposed two years ago.
The sole purpose of the three
highway plaIis Webb g. Knapp
submitted. meanwhile, was to
suggest ways of routing through-
traffic around the redevelopment
area and not directly to the
Tenth street mall. Three
schemes were submitted because
the planners and city highway
officials have not decided them
selves precisely how through
traffic will converge on the
Southwest.
Freeway Problem.
One problem, for example. is
whether the Southwest (F street)
freeway will feed westward into
q new expressway along Inde-
pendence avenue or along Ohio
drive to the Lincoln Memorial.
Two of the Webb q Knapp
schemes dealt with these alterna-
tives.
These two drawings generally
follow a plan agreed upon sew
eral months ago by the planning
commission and highway Of
f1cials for new bridges in the
Fourteenth street area. Their
highlights:
!. Use Fourteenth street NV.
and S.W. for one-way SOUTH
bound traffic. Route this traf-
fic over the newer of the two
existing Fourteenth street
bridges. This bridge now car
ries onelway traffic northbound.
Q. Build a. new bridge over the
Potomac River and Washington
Channel to replace the old
trestle-topped Fourteenth Street
Bridge. Use it for. one-way
northbound traffic and connect
It with q one-way expressway
along the line of Twelfth street
S.W. and NV. This improved
Twelfth street roadway would
underpass Independence avenue
and existing Mall roads but cross
Constitution avenue at grade.
3. Give the new Southwest
fr eeway connections with
Twelfth and Fourteenth streets
BY means of grade separation
structures.
4. Build the Tenth street mall
from Maine avenue on the south
to independence avenue son the
north, with no direct access to
the Southwest freeway. Near
its northern end, the mall sys-
tenn would feed one roadway
eastward to underpass Inde-
pendence avenue and connect
with Ninth street.
Involves Proposed Bridge.
The third Webb a. Knapp
drawing suggested q through
traffic system in the event two
way bridge ever is built from
Reaches Run to connect with
Twelfth street and the South
west freeway. Such q bridge was
backed strongly several months
ago by the planning commission
In this event. the draFing pro-
posed that CD Fourteenth street
should be improved to carry one
way southbound traffic and CD
Seventh street should be i'm
proved as an expreSsway to
handle northbound one-Way
trafac north of the F street free
way.
Webb q Knapp ofiicials said
any of the three plans would be
acceptable to them. so long as
Tenth street could be left free of
through traffic volumes.
The plans are expected to be
turned over for study to two
groups-a three-member PLAN
ming commission committee, and
consultants hired by the District
to work out details Of the South
west freeway.
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