Evening star., 1954-01-07
Bridge Hearings
Will Start Soon,
|broyhi|I Says
Bottle Is Certain
On { Street Spon
Involving Island
By George Beveridee

publican, OF Virginia, predicted
today that hearings on controver-
sial Potomac River bridge pro-
posals will begin within two or
three weeks.
He said he has been assured
hearings would be held by a
House District subcommittee
headed by Representative Kearns.
Republican, of Pennsylvania, on
bills Mr.. Broyhill has introduced
for two new crossings-one at E
street and one at Jones Point.
Alexandria.
A battle on the E street prof.
ect, favored by the District Com
missioners. was assured yester-
day. At a special meeting, the
National Capital Planning Com
mission refused to support the
E street span. Instead, the plan
ners proposed an alternate bridge
just downriver from the existing
Highway bridge.
New Plan Approved.
In voting for the alternate
bridge project. the planners ap-
proved new road plan for ap-
proaches on the Virginia side of
the river which was unveiled
to them only minutes before.
The bridge itself would cross
the Potomac from Reaches Run
in Virginia to East Potomac Park.
There. it would join a crossing
OF the Washington channel to
tie into the proposed Southwest
freeway along F street. On the
District side, traffic would be
fed from the freeway into WASH
ington on Third, Seventh, Ninth
and Twelfth streets.
However. the main approach
to the bridge on the Virginia
side. under the new plan, would
be a new expressway heading
toward Alexandria parallel to
the Mount Vernon Memorial
highway.
At a point near the WASH
lngton National Airport, the ex-
pressway would swing westward
TO connect with a proposed cross
country "belt road"-not vet
built - which would intersect
Shirley highway. Columbia pike,
Arlington boulevard and } Lee
highway.
i$26.4 Million Cost.
Planning Commission officials
said the Reaches Run bridge and
expressway-to a point just be-
yond .. S. Route l in Virginia.
could be built for 1854 million.
For another 81 million. they said,
the expressway could be built to
Shirley highway.
John Nolen. jr., Planning Com
mission director, said the ideas
Tor the expressWay and the cross
country belt road were taken
from a road improvement plan
submitted last month by con-
sultants to the Virginia State
Legislature.
Mr.. Nolen said he had agreed
with District officials that it
would have been costly and diff
cult to tie the main Reaches Run
bridge traffic into major high
ways near the Pentagon. He
argued that the new plan pro-
vlded an answer to this com.
plant "and gives the bridge a
brand-new approach from Vir-
ginia."
AS against Mr.. Nolen's cost
estimate of 1854 million, District
Engineer Commissioner Louis w.
Prentiss had estimated the
Reaches Run bridge and ap-
proaches would cost $40 million.
Estimate of the E street bridge
cost was put at $31 or $32 million.
The difference in the Reaches
Run estimates resulted mainly
from the different approaches
studied. Gen. Prentiss. oues-
toned by a reporter later, said
he had not seen the new plan
until it was presented yesterday.
7-tO-4 Rejection.
The planners vote rejecting
the E street site was 6 to 4.
Moments afterwards, Chairman
Case of the Senate District Com
mittee, a commission member.
authorized his vote to be cast by
Chairman Harland Bartholomew.
Since MIR. Bartholomew opposed
the E street site, that made the
vote z to 4 against it.
No bridge bills have been in.
troduced in the Senate. Imme.
diately after yesterdays Plan
ming Commission meeting, how
ever, Mr.. Broyhill introduced his
measure, which would designate
the E street span as the Theo-
dore Roosevelt Memorial Bridge.
Mr.. Broyhill said he selected
the name because the bridge
would pass over one end of
Theodore Roosevelt Memorial
Island. The island was decided
to the Federal Government as
a memorial in the form of q
wildlife sanctuary.
Il sincerely regret that some
well-intentioned citizens have
objected to the E street bridge
location because the proposed
span would go over Theodore
Roosevelt Island" Mr.. Broyhill
said.
Theodore Roosevelt Island
will not be destroyed, nor will
the bird sanctuary there be dis
turbed. I am sure that were the
great Teddy alive he would be
the last to stand in the way of
progress and the great needs Of
the citizens of our communities.
The Roosevelt Island issue.
is certain to be a major
hurdle to the E street proposal.
Park and conservation groups
have opposed the project as an
improper encroachment on the
island, and several members Of