Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-30
1Wo-Bridge Bill
Is Headed for
Senate Action
Muy Come Up for
Vote Tomorrow.
Then Go to House

Washington's new Potomac
River bridge bill. which switched
suddenly this week from con-
troversy to wide Endorsement,
is expected to come before
the Senate for action tomorrow.
Approved unanimously by the
Senate District Committee yes
terday. the measure calls for two
bridges. fulfilling separate needs.
One, between Arlington Memorial
Bridge and the controversial
Roosevelt Memorial Island, is
designed to relieve downtown
congestion. The other, at Jones
Point. Alexandra. would give the
city its first real bypass route.
Committee officials expect the
bill to be called up en- the Senate
consent calendar. If it is APP
proved-and no opposition has
been voiced to either bridget
could go directly to the House.
House leaders who supported a
House passed bill calling only for
single Jones Point bridge indi-
Gated today they would give full
support to the two-bridge meas
ure, if it clears the Senate.
Kearns Pledges Aid.
Representative Kearns, Repub-
lican, of Pennsylvania, chairman
of a House subcommittee which
held extensive hearings on the
bridge proposals last spring. said
he would "do anything I can
to push the bill along in the
House"
The controversy dissolved this
week with agreement by plan.
ming, highway and park officials
on the new compromise location
missing the island completely
and tying into Twenty fourth
street NV. Basis for the agree
ment was another plan to re-
build Twenty-fourth street as
a major freeway and make 1t a
part of the proposed belt system
of roads around the congested
central area.
The planners made 1t clear at
a meeting yesterday they have
approved no exact location for
the downtown bridge, or its
specific connections to city
streets. The intention is to have
this worked out jointly by the
planners and roadbuilders.
There is no conflict between
this stand and the Senate bill.
which Identifies the bridge only
as near Constitution avenue and
between Arlington bridge and
Roosevelt island.
Mr.. Kearns said he hoped the
extensive arguments before his
subcommittee had cleared the
air on the controversy and helped
pave the way for the agreement.
Representative Broyhill. Re-
publican, of Virginia, who au-
thored the Jones Point bill, said
he was enthusiastic about the
new two-bridge bill and hoped
for House approval.
Representative Smith, Demo-
crat. Of Virginia, one of the
strongest House leaders on Dis
trict affairs, said he hadn't had
chance to see the Senate ver-
sion. He said his first reaction
was that he feared 1t would en-
danger getting even the one
span approved by the House, but
that he had no further comment.
Approval in Short Order.
The Senate committee spen'
only about five minutes approx
ing the compromise measure.
after Senator Case announced
the unanimous support of offlcia,
bodies for it.
Hermann Hagedorn, Theodore
Roosevelt Association secretary
and a guest at the committee
luncheon-business session. said
he felt the new central area
bridge compromise was IAN ex-
cellent plan q masterful
compromise"
Under the bill. the District
would build and pay for the SPAS
million Twenty-fourth street
bridge and the Federal Govern
ment would pay for the $14.9
million Jones Point bridge prop
err. Maryland and Virginia would
provide approaches for the
Alexandria span. Both bridges
would be six lanes wide.
Brig. Gen. Louis w. Prentiss.
Engineer Commissioner. said he
has ordered highway engineers
to make immediate studies to
tie down the specific location
and connections for the bridge"
These details must be approved
by the Commissioners and the
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