Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-22
SenatorsUrged
To Act Fast on
Bridge Funds
Senator Robertson
And Wirth Join in
Jones Point Pleu
By HAROLD B. ROGERS


to proceed as rapidly as possible
with the Jones Point bridge.
Both urged the committee. OF
which the Senator is a member
to restore to a supplemental ap-
preparation bill 100000 fol
acquisition of land in Mary
land on which to seat" that enc
of the Potomac River span. The
fund had been stricken from the
bill recently by the House.
Mr.. With assured the COM
Imittee that pending legislation
to be acted on in the House
next Monday should help tt
clear the way for not only the
funds for the Maryland lane
but also for $13.8 million fol
bridge construction which hao
been stricken by the House from
Ia different appropriation bill.
Shift Jurisdiction
The bill to be acted on by the
House, which had been cited as
one reason for killing the two
separate funds for the Jones
Point bridge, would transfer
jurisdiction for construction
from the Interior Department to
the Commerce Departments
Bureau of Public Roads.
Chairman Hayden of the Sen
ate Appropriations Committee
who previously had heard In
terror Department officials ask
for restoration of the $138 mil
lion to the Interior Department
appropriation bill, asked several
friendly questions of Mr.. Wirth
about the whole legislative situa-
ton on the bridge.
Mr.. Wirth told the committee
that. in his opinion, money for
the <,ryland land was neces-
'sary so that Maryland officials
could begin planning the APP
proach roads leading from the
highway system in the State to
the bridge itself.
This point was stressed by H.
j. Spelman, division engineer OF
the Bureau of Public Roads,
which already is making plans
for the bridge. under a working
agreement with the Interior De-
partment. Mr.. Spelman empha-
sized that unless the Govern
ment buys the land for the Mary
land end of the bridge that
speculation" on the property
to be used for approach roads
would increase the price. Both
the States of Virginia and
Maryland, he testified. have
promised to build approach
roads.
Senator Robertson backed
Mr.. Spelman on this point so far
as Virginia is concerned.
Assurance From Maryland
Asked by another committee
member as to whether the States
will maintain the bridge, Mr..
Spelman said, eve have a def
mite commitment on that from
Virginia and some informal as
|surances from Maryland, not in
writing"
Senator Robertson emphasized
to his committee that the whole
bridge project is very urgent
matter and I hope the commit
tee will let it go ahead"
Regarding the bill to transfer
jurisdiction from the Interior
Department to the Commerce
Departments Bureau of Public
Roads. Mr.. Wirth assured the
committee that the Interior De
Ipartment has a longtime work.
ing agreement with the Bureau
of Public Roads under which
that bureau is already making
good progress on the Jones Point
bridge plans. The bureau, he
said. already has made sound
ings necessary for planning the
bridge supports.
Congress last year, he ex-
planned, appropriated $780, 900
for the National Park Service to
proceed wit h planning tn e
bridge. This money is being
turned over to the Bureau of
Public Roads to defray its ex-
penses.
Therefore, he pointed out
there should be no reason why
both the money for construction
of the span and for buying the
Maryland land, should be held
up by Congress.
Hayden'S Position
Senator Hayden is in a stra-
tegic position to act on the re.
quests for restoration of both the
funds. He is not only chairman
of the full Senate Appropriations
Committee, which will act or
both the construction and the
land purchase money, but is
chairman of the subcommittee
which heard the testimony some
time ago on restoration Of the
$13.8 million.
Hearings have been completed
on the Interior Department ap-
preparation bill for the next
fiscal year which is expected to
be acted on soon by the full
committee.
The supplemental appropria-
ton bill is being handled by the
full Appropriations Committee.
Hearings on this measure are ex-
pected to continue through next
Tuesday.
The District of Columbia gov
eminent has more than SO mil
lion in the supplemental bill on
which District officials have been
tentatively slated to testify Tues
day.