Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-03-08
Virginia Takes
Same Stand on
Span Approach
Highway Commission
Restotes Obligation
On E Street Bridge
By Alex r. Preston
Stor Sfoff Correspondent

State Highway Commission to-
day reStated its position on the
matter of bridges crossing into
Washington but failed to make
clear how far it will go to pay for
approaches.
Commissioner James A. Ander-
son said his department is fully
aware of the road needs in the
Fairfax-Arlington area and has
done all it could" with funds
available to meet those needs.
About as far as his statement
goes on the matter of Virginia
paying for bridge approaches is
to restate the commiSSion'S re-
sponsibility for maintaining and
improving Arlington boulevard
south of Arlington Ridge road,
which would feed into the pro-
posed E street bridge.
He restated what was gener-
ally known, that the Highway
Commission would continue to
develop Route / up to the Alex
andria city limits and expressed
the opinion that an approach
to the Jones Point Bridge to con-
meet with Shirley highway is not
essential at this time.
Stated at Meeting.
The statement was q result of
q meeting here Saturday be-
tween Representative Broyhill,
Republican. of Virginia, who has
sponsored the two bridge pro-
posals in Congress, State Senator
Charles r. Fenwick of Arlington
and Mr.. Anderson.
Mr.. Broyhill sought to have
the Highway Department reverse
its bluntly stated position before
the House District Subcommittee
last week in which the Virginia
road representative said there is
mo possibility" that the State
could pay for the bridges or
their approaches.
For years, Mr.. Anderson
wrote, "the commission has real
lied that it did not and would
not have the means to provide
reasonably adequate highways in
your area"
3-Page Memorandum.
In a three-page memorandum
accompanying his letter the
highway commissioner said:
With respect to the proposed
two new crossings of the Po-
tomac River, the situation in
Virginia is substantially as fol-
lows:
"E street crossing-the prin-
cipal arterial highway to be at
fected by the E street crossing is
Arlington boulevard. U. S. Route
so. The maintenance and i'm
provement of this highway south
of Arlington Ridge road is the
responsibility of the Virginia De-
partment of Highways. It will
continue to be the departments
responsibility should an E street
bridge be constructed unless
some portion of the highway
south of Arlington Ridge road
should become a part of Fed
orally owned land or become in
corporated as part of some city.
1.-THE department in it's long
range plans has always recog-
nized the need for the develop
ment of Arlington boulevard
south of Arlington Ridge road as
traffic demands in the subject
area increased. Already millions
of dollars have been spent in
such improvement.
"This expenditure is providing
separation structures such as
those at the intersection of Glebe
road, Tenth street and Court
house road. The cost of these
three. now under construction,
amounts to approximately 50
million. Included in the depart
ment's future plans is the widen
ing Of this highway from four to
six lanes and the provision Of
additional separation structures
as traffic demands increase and
available funds permit.
Limited Funds Available.
Because of the limited funds
available for construction in the
subject area, the timing of the
improvements to Arlington boule-
ward depends largely upon the
priority given to such improve
mentS in relation to other needs
in the same area.
This department, in CO.
operation with the Arlington
County Board. has established
a priority program of highway
improvement. We will be happy
to work with the Arlington
County Board in a re-study of
priorities and will accord the ut
most consideration to any re-
quest by Arlington County and
its representatives for a high
priority to future work on Ar
lington boulevard.
Jones Point crossing - It
seems to this department that
the two major purposes to be
served by crossing at Jones
Point would be Cd to serve by
paSSable north-south traffic now
using US. / and the Shirley
highway, and co local traffic in
the Alexandria area. With this
diagnosis, while an extention to
a south approach as far as the
Shirley highway would unques-
tionably be desirable, it is not in
our opinion essential as this
time.
"It is ou1 belief that a south
ern approach carried as far as
u. S. near the south corporate
limits of Alexandria with an in
termediate interchange connect
ing with the Memorial boulevard
would serve present needs.
Through traffic would proceed UP
four-lane U. s. ! from Wood
bridge and enter the southern
l.. approach to the bridge near the
south limit of Alexandria