Evening star., 1954-04-21
Officials Agree
On variiancein in
Bridge eCosts
Gross and Net Cost
Systems Used on
Rouches Run Plan

ming Commission and the Dis
trict Highway Department had
a meeting of minds on at least
one count in the Potomac River
bridge controversy yesterday.
They agreed on why the COM
missions cost estimates for the
proposed Reaches Run crossing
differ so greatly from those
Of the Highway Department.
Confer for Hour.
Brig. Gen. Louis w. Prentiss,
District Engineer Commissioner,
and Harland Bartholomew,
chairman of the planning COM
mission, conferred for more than
an hour before emerging with a
detailed cost comparison table
The chart is being sent to
Chairman KearnS of a special
House subcommittee studying
the Districts bridge needs. The
Pennsylvania Republican re-
queSted the information after
wondering about the cost con-
f1ict during recent hearings on
the bridge issue.
The planning body which IA
vors the Reaches Run structure,
places its estimate at 1858 mil
lion. District highway plan
ners, who favor a crossing in
line with E street over Theodore
Roosevelt Island, figure the
Reaches Run span would cost
well over $46 million.
Gen. PrentiSS emphasized at
the close of yesterdays conversa-
ton that no effort was made to
reconcile the differences between
the two agencies.
I'VE simply explained our diff
ferences on cost estimates and
set them out on paper" he ex-
planned.
Used Net and Gross Figures.
In an accompanying letter, the
two officials told Representative
Kearns that the basic reason for
the cost variations is that the
commission compiled its estl-
mates on a net basis, while the
District arrived at gross cost
figures.
AS the i letter explained:
"On the. one hand, the plan
ming commission reasons that
credit should be allowed for con-
struction that would take place,
regardless of the bridge, and
which had been already included
in the Districts highway i'm
provement program or contem-
plated as a Federal or Virginia
project.
"On the other hand, the Dis
trlct contends that the legisla-
tive authorization for the bridge
should include the cost of all the
construction required to permit
1T to function, even though q
large part of this construction
may be needed whether or not
the bridge is constructed.
Reaches Run in IL Sections.
In the presentation to the SUBJ
committee, the Reaches Run
project is divided into IL Sec
tions stretching all the way from
the Mall at Constitution avenue
to the outer reaches of Arling-
ton boulevard. Item by item:
The Mall - Commission esti-
mate, 100000 for widening
Twelfth and Ninth streets. High
way Department estimate, ST.
100000 for making those two
streets underpass both Independ-
= ence and Constitution avenues.
Commission disagrees with High
way that the bridge traffic would
cause nightmarish congestion if
it were to cross the two avenues
at grade.
Southwest Freeway and Tenth
Street - Commission estimate,
nothing; Highway, $3,897, 900.
The District includes the cost of
the ramp system connecting the
proposed Washington Channel
Bridge with the proposed Free
way at Ninth street and with
Tenth street. The Commission
argues that since the channel
crossing and Freeway connec-
tions are already in the District
highway development program,
these items should not be charged
to the Reaches Run project.
Additional lanes for Southwest
freeway; widening freeway con-
nectiOnS-CommisSion estimates,
$872.000 for the former and
$4,000 for the latter, on the
= basis that heavier traffic volume
from the bridge would demand
wider street capacity than that
contemplated in the District
highway plan. The District gives
no figure for these projects on
grounds that the Reaches Run
bridge destroyed the function"
OF the freeway as part of the
Inner loop" roadway system.
consequently additional lanes
would be unnecessary to tie the
loop to Ohio drive.
Washington Channel Bridge
Commission estimate, S87l 900;
Highway, $3.406,000. This dis
parity is due to the fact that the
commission figures only on the
cost of two additional traffic
lanes to the structure already
contemplated in the overall high
way plan. Highway demurs,
however. contending that since
Reaches Run bridge would de-
Stroy the channel bridge function
as part of the inner loop the
whole cost Of the latter struc-
ture should be computed into the
cost of the Reaches Run COM
ponent sections.
East Potomac Park crossing
Both agencies agree on $3.50 900
sum. on the basis of identical
siX-lane construction.
Reaches Run Bridge tmain
StrIlctlIl.el Commission ecti