Evening star., 1955-01-30

U. 5. May Give
81 Billion for
Area Road Net
l0-Yeur Development
Proposed for Distric
And z Nearby State
BY Froncis P. Douglas

By Froneis P. Douglas
The Federal Government will
4. spend about a billion dollars on
the interstate highway system
in the District, Virginia and
Maryland in 10 years If propos-
ais of q presidential committee
are carried out.
Under the program, almost all
the cost Of the 40, 0,000-mile stra-
tegic interstate highway net
work should be shouldered by
the Federal Government.
A breakdown Of the interstate
system discloses II miles of the
network is in the District. Cost
of construction here is roughly
estimated at $147.380. 900. The
only part Of the system, now
under construction is a six-lane
divided highway with controlled
access along Kenilworth avenue
NE. from East Capitol street to
the District line. The cost is
estimated at between 81 and
$4.5 million.
'908 Miles in Virginia.
In Virginia, the cost Of the in
terstate system. 908 miles in ex-
tent, is estimated at 1859 mil
lion. and only $23.2 million
worth of construction has been
carried out.
In Maryland the cost of COM
pleting the system in a 10-year
period Is put at $434,145, 900.
This includes the cost of re-
building and relocating existing
highways to bring them up to
interstate standards, and recon-
struction Of others.
Maryland has 278 miles of the
interstate system. If belt high
ways around Washington and
Baltimore are added, the total
goes up to 1863. Seventy-nine
miles have already been COM
pleted and SO miles are either
under construction or are to be
started this year.
The proposals have been made
by the Presidents Advisory Com
1nittee on a National Highway
Program. This copmittee is
headed by Gen. Lucius D. Clay.
Asks SOL Billion.
It has recommended a 10-year.
$101-billion program to break
the national traffic jam. There
would be no essential change in
the present Federal-aid highway
program. But added to it would
be $27 billion for the interstate
highway system. with the Gov
ernment putting up $25 billion
and the States 50 billion.
The Clay committee report
makes no attempt to say how
the $25 billion should be divided.
1t does say, however, that the
Government should accept the
responsibility for the interstate
system together with It's essen
tial urban arterial connections. )"
Highway officials have been
trying to estimate how much
would be made available to their
departments. One method has
been to apply the $25 billion to
So billion proportion 1925 per
cent to IA per cent? to their in
terstate highway programs.
On this basis the Federal Gov
ernment would put up $140.752.-
900 of the cost of the system in
the District, $685. ,318,200 in Vir-
ginia and $402,018,270 in Mary
land.
60-40 Split Used.
Another method has been to
apply the 60-40 ration used IN
apportioning regular interstate
system funds in fiscal 1856. The
District was given 6 per cent Of
the SITS million total. Virginia
1893 per cent and Maryland IL
per cent. Applying these per-
centages to the extra $25 billion
would give the District $152 mil
lion. Virginia $495 million and
Maryland $275 million.
The Virginia Highway Depart
ment estimated it would receive
around $500 million for it's part
Of the interstate system and one
OF the staff also figured the
State would have to put UP about
$2.6 million a year over the 10
year period.
Norman Pritchett, chief engi-
neer of the Maryland State Roads
Commission, said that with the
Federal Government shouldering
most Of the cost of the inter
state system the State could
complete its 5000 miles of high
ways. Maryland has a 12-year
program, beginning January l.,
1854. In this program 3,400 miles
of roads have been scheduled for
improvement, with 1900 miles of
roads not yet placed in the pro-