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

Repuying Pact
The Capital Transit Co. may
not have to take Its tracks %
Key Bridge until after 1t goes
out Of business next year, Il
appeared today.
Thus, the company may never
have to redeem q promise Il
replace its streetcars with shuttle
buses for Rossiyn hound pas.
sengers.
The promise was made yester-
day by J. A. B. Broadwater. etc
president. In q letter TO District
Commissioner Samuel Spencer.
In 1t. he agreed to 60 along
with District Highway Depart
ment plans to widen Key Bridge
from four to six lanes and re.
surface 1t at . cost Of some
100000.
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 Job
Deputy Highway Director 8. n
Harrison said the department
hopes to advertise for bids or
the job within q couple Of weeks
and may have It under contract
by December ]. He said It win
take about nine months Il
complete.
He warned. however, that, II
our work is delayedif we have
o tough winter" the Capital
Transit phase Of the job may not
be reakhed until the company has
gone but of business next Au-
gust ~.
The Capital Transit phase,
estimated BY the city to cost
from $4,000 to 100000, viii In
volye removing the granite blocks
from between its tracks on Key
Bridee. cutting of the top Of
the 1shaped tracks so they are
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
win not decide for several
months where or how to turn
back its No. 80 North Capitol
Rosslyn streetcar line.
Turns ut 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 q
turnback 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 q cost OF from $50. 900
to 100000 or to raise the grade
Of the tracks an average Of 3h
inches at q cost estimated be-
tween S250.O00 and 100000.
Speculation then was that the
move might force the company
to abandon all Of its Rosslyn line
and convert to o bus operation
immediately.
A Public Utilities Commission
ofhci6l. however. pointed Out
yesterday that the cars could
be turned back either at Wash
ington Circle or ct the Potomac
Park loop. Under the latter ar
rangemert, cars running west or
Pennsylvania avenue NV. would
turn south on Nineteenth street
to r or G streets and run back
up Eighteenth street to Pennsyl-
vania.
Simple Operation
Asked about the turnback
problem, Mr.. Giddings said
"We're not going to cross that
bridge until we come to it. It's
Q fairly simple problem opera
tionally."
He agreed that any delay ir
the Highway Department work
might make 1t unnecessary fol
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 II.
The FIRST part Of the bridge re-
construction. Mr.. Harrison said.
will involve building cantilever-
supported sidewalks cupboard oil
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
said, viii be all concrete. He
declared 1t Is necessary to raise
the grade to provide q crown for
the roadway to insure proper
drainage.
He said the department has
no objection to Capital Transit's
plans to leave half of the tracks
In the roadway, declaring 1t will
provide a 'solid subgrade."
CONVENTIONS