Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-09-24
Engineers Open
Flood Control
Bids on Oct. Is
Northwest Brunch
Of Anucostio to Be
Deepened, Diked
By Gene Goodwin

The Army Engineers will open
bids October Is on the first
project in their $13 million pro-
gram for controlling floods along
the Anacostia River and at Peace
Cross in Prince Georges County.
1t. Col. Allen Sanders, assist
ant chief engineer for the WASH
ington District, said today the
first project covers almost a mile
and a half of the Anacostia's
Northeast Branch, roughly be-
tween Riverdale road in River
dale and Baltimore avenue (alter-
nate U. S. - at Hyattsville.
The Northeast Branch is to be
deepened and Strengthened and
f1anked with earth levees aver
aging about IL feet high.
The levees are designed to keep
the stream from rampaging in
times of heavy rains.
A system of pumps and con-
duits will carry surface drainage
from nearby communities over
or through the levees to the
branch.
Two Years Required.
The Army Engineers estimate
that it will take almost two years
to complete this first phase Of
their program. They say it will
give complete relief from flooding
in the areas adjacent to the
Northeast Branch and partial re-
lief from the flood waters which
now creep across the Peace Cross
intersection at Bladenburg dur
ing even modern transforms.
The engineers have worked out
a similar plan Of levees and
pumps for the Northwest Branch
of the Anacostia in Brentwood
and for the main Anacostia from
the point where the two branches
converge just north of Peace
Gross on into the District.
The only funds the engineers
have for the program now, how
ever, is 100000 appropriated by
the last Congress. That is
enough to give them a start on
the first project. They will have
to get further appropriations in
order to complete the full $13
million plan.
Work Began Sept. Is.
The first work on the Ana
costa flood control program &C
tually began on September Is,
when laboring crews from the
washington Suburban Santa
ton Commission started relocat-
ing a sewer line to make way for
the dredging of Northeast
Branch.
Four days before that. $780,
900 in bonds were f1oated by the
Sanitary Commission, the Mary
land National Capital Park end
Planning Commission and Prince
Georges County. That money is
being used to acquire land for
the relocated channel, to re-
locate utilities and raise the
county's Decatur Street Bridge
over the Northeast Branch.
The State Roads Commission.
in addition, will elevate its
bridges on Baltimore avenue.
Peace Cross and over the North
west Branch on Rhode Island
avenue.
The bridges have to be raised
to make room for the levees.
Test Borings Begin.
Test borings already have be-
gun for the new bridges.
The Army Engineers have re-
sponsibility for relocating and
raising the Baltimore & Ohio
Railroad Bridge which crosses
Northeast Branch in EdmonSton.
Col. Sanders said separate con-
tract will be awarded for that
project later.
The Engineers bid opening on
october Is, scheduled for 2 pm.
in the Washington District En-
gineer's office at First and Doug
las streets NV, will climax
nearly 60 years of congressional
wrangling over what should be
done about Peace Cross floods.
Records show that the SD
Congress was the first to be
asked for Peace Cross flood
control money. 1t was not until
d.. 1916. however, that the Army
Engineers we're given funds to
start working out an Anacostia