Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-03
Jones Pr. Span
Agreed To- as
Second Choice
Planners Accept
9-Point Alternative
Outlined by Prentiss
By George Beveridqe

By George Beveridge
Washington'S road builders
and planners were agreed today
on a "second-choice" compro-
mise in the event that neither
can win a clear-cut victory in
their bitter Potomac River bridge
fight.
The alternate program calls
for immediate construction of a
Jones Point alexandria, bridge,
immediate replacement of the
50-year-old treStle-topped Four
tenth Street Bridge and major
improvements to other existing
bridges and city streets which
serve them.
The conditional agreement
came about when the National
Capital Planning Commission
decided yesterday that if Con-
greSS rejects it's Reaches Run
bridge proposal, it will support
a nine-point alternate plan Sug-
gested by Brig. Gen. Louis w.
PrentisS, District Engineer Com
missioner
First Choice Battle.
Gen. PrentiSS, earlier this week,
had proposed the nine-point
attack on bridge congestion on
precisely the same basis. He
told a House District subcommit-
tee he was recommending the al
ternate program in the event
Congress refuses to authorize an
E street bridge.
After the commission meeting
Gen. Printiss and Harland Bar
tholomew, Planning Commission
chairman. stressed that neither
is giving an inch on their main
proposals. I
The planners still want
Reaches Run, and Steadfastly
oppose the E street project. The
District Highway Department
still contends the E street prof.
ect is the best answer to bridge
snarls, and is unalterably against
Reaches Run.
But if Congress rejects both
propoSals-and some officials on
both sides feel Congress will
then each is willing to go along
with the alternate program as
the next best thing.
Accept With Reservations.
Actually the planners them
selves proposed parts of the nine
point program last May. And
they only agreed to Gen Prem
tisS'' entire plan ''in principle"
with certain reservations.
But the fact that the two
groups are united on even
Second-choice plan puts them
closer together on a single
bridge proposal than they have
been for years.
Mr.. Bartholomew said each of
the nine points was voted on and
approved separately by the COM
mission, of which Gen. PrentiSs
is a member. The approval was
given "in principle" because the
planners want the right to ap-
prove the specific design of each
project when it is drawn up.
Some are certain to be contro-
versial.
The planners also attached an
extra condition to one of the
projectS-a District plan that !
calls for a span over the Wash
ington Channel to connect the !
proposed Southwest q street, |
freeway with Ohio drive and the
two Fourteenth street bridges.
Would Protect Site.
The condition, Mr.. Bartholo-
NEW said, was that the channel
span be designed so that it
would not preclude the future
possibility of a Reaches Run
bridge. located just downriver
from the Fourteenth Street /
Bridge network. Existing District /
designs for the channel span, the
planners feel, would block such !
q bridge
In addition, the planners in
sisted that the Southwest free
way, slated for early construc-
ton and planned for six lanes,
be designed so it could be wild
ened to eight lanes.
Mr.. Bartholomew said he
hoped to transmit the commits
sion's action next week to the |
House District subcommittee,
headed by Representative
KearnS. Republican, of Pennsyl-
vania. which has held hearings
on bills for bridges at E street,
Jones Point and Reaches Run.
To Explain Cost Estimates.
At the same time, the commits
sion decided yesterday to send
up an explanation of sharp con-
hicts the planners and highway
officials gave Congress in
Reaches Run cost estimates.
The planners said the bridge
would cost 1858 million. Dis
trict witnesses commended that. |
to make the bridge function
properly. Improvements costing
about $50 million would be
needed.
District officials are preparing
cost estimates also for each prof. |
ect in the nine-point alternate
proposal. The Jones Point bridge |
is proposed as a Federally f. |
nanced bridge. but several of |
the other projects are provided |
for in the city's $305-million
public works program, now pend |
ing on Capitol Hill.
The effect of much of the
proposal. therefore, would be to
advance priority of some prof. |
ects to the status of immediate |
needs"