Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-10-05
Death Of CIC
May Prevent
Track Removal
Key Bridge Job
Involved With
Repnyine Pact

NepuNIn9 TuGI
The Capital Transit Co. may
not have to take its tracks on
Key Bridge until after It goes
out Of business next year, ii
appeared today.
Thus, the company may never
have to redeem q promise To
replace It's streetcars with shuttle
buses for Rosslyn-b ound pas
sengerS.
The promise was made yester-
day by ]. A. B. Broadwater, CTCI
president. In q letter to District
Commissioner Samuel Spencer.
In it, he agreed TO so along
with District highway Depart
ment plans to widen Key Bridge
from four to six lanes and re-
surface it at q cost OF some
$50O.0O0.
But, Mr.. Broadwater pointed
out, it had been agreed that
Capital Transit's part Of the
work would not come until the
end of the bridge project next
July or August.
9-Month lob
Deputy Highway Director s. r.
Harrison said the department
hopes to advertise for bids on
the job within q couple Of weeks
and may have it under contract
by December /. He said 1t will
take about nine months toI
complete.
He warned. however. that. "ifI
our work is delayed-if we have
q tough winter" the Capital
Transit phase Of the job may not
be reached until the company has
gone out q business next Au-I
gust IL.
The Capital Transit phase,
estimated by the city to cost
from $50, 900 to 500. 900. win in
volve removing the granite blocks
from between its tracks on Key
Bridge, cutting OF the top Of
the Eshaped tracks so they arel
flush with the concrete base
under the paving blocks and re-
covering the right-of-way with
new concrete.
Capital Transit Vice President
e. c. Giddings said the company
will not decide for several
where or how to turn
back its No. 80 North Capitol
Rosslyn streetcar line.
Turns at Circle
The cross-town line now turns
back at the Rosslyn circle on
the Virginia side of Key Bridge.
Removal Of the tracks would cut
short the route and force al
on the District side.
The company was ordered sew
eral weeks ago to conform with
Highway Department plans for
the bridge. This would force the
company either to remove the
tracks at a cost OF from $50 900
to 500, 900 or to raise the grade
Of the tracks an average Of 3la
inches at a cost estimated be-
tween $250.000 and 100000.
Speculation then was that the
move might force the company
to abandon all Of its Rosslyn line
and convert to Q bus operation
Immediately.
A Public Utilities Commission
official. however, pointed out
yesterday that the cars could
be turned back either at Wash
ingto1 Circle or at the Potomac
Park loop. Under the latter ar
rangement. cars running west on
Pe1nsylVania avenue NV. would
turn south on Nineteenth street
to r or G streets and run back
UP Eighteenth street TO Pennsyl-I
varlia.
Simple Operation
Asked about the turnbackI
problem. Mr.. Giddings said.
We're not going to cross that
bridge until We come to 1t. IT'S
q fairly simple problem opera
tionally."
He agreed that any delay in
the Highway Department work
might make 1t unnecessary for
the company to solve the turn
back problem at all or to provide
shuttle service the firm would be-
bound to maintain until Au-.
gust Il.
4 The first part Of the bridge re-
construction. Mr., Harrison said,
will involve building cantilever-
supported sidewalks cupboard of
the present bridge structure.
Then the present sidewalks will
be torn up and paved over.
Afterwards, he said, the road
ways next to the sidewalks will
be repaved, and then it will be
time for the tracks to be re-.
moved and the right-of-way re-
paved. The new roadway, he