Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-01
D. c. Fights Tunnel
At Lincoln Memorial
House OK Asked
For Constitution
Avenue Bridge
BY GEORGE BEvERIDGE


posed a Potomac River tunnel
near the Lincoln Memorial and
urged the House to clear the
way for immediate construction
of the six-lane Constitution ave-
nue. bridge Congress already has
authorized.
The appeal came as a House
District subcommittee opened
hearings on the entire bridge
tunnel controversy. Before the
group, headed by Representative
Davis, Democrat of Georgia,
were:
/. An amendment to the
bridge act, already passed by the
Senate, which would let the six
lane bridge cross the lower part
of Roosevelt Memorial Island.
2. A new bill to substitute q
four-lane tunnel, to be built at
Federal expense by the Interior
Department, for the authorized
bill.
Cost Seen Tripled
District Engineer Commits
sioner Thomas A. Lane and city
highway officials commended that
a four-lane tunnel would carry
onl yabout half the traffic load
expected to be- served by the
bridge Is years from now, and
argued that even a six-lane tun-
mel would fall far short of han.
ding the volume of cars. Be.
cause of grades upward at either
end of the tunnel, they said, its
lanes could handle only about
80 per cent Of the amount bridge
lanes can.
They also predicted a six-lane
tunnel would cost about three
times the amount of the bridge
and require about 80 times the
annual maintenance cost.
In a new argument the city
officials also commended the
mouth of the tunnel would be
below water level on the District
side of the river. requiring con-
struction Of "a tremendous un.
slightly levee" extending north
ward from the Lincoln Memoir
Iial to protect the tunnel from,
floods.
| AL these arguments are ex-
Ipected to be hotly contested at
the subcommittee's next hearing
by Federal park officials who
want the tunnel. Particularly
they will argue that traffic de-
mands do not require more than
"a four-lane tunnel with rela-
lively simple approach roads.
7 Levee Idea RidicuIed
j Ole Singstad, New York tun-
mel expert retained by the Park
people, ridiculed to a reporter
after the hearing the highway
experts talk of a high flood con-
troll levee.
4 AS he sees the tunnel, he said.
the grade of the District shore
could be gradually raised so the
tunnel would open on high
ground and out of danger of
floods.
! City Highway Director ]. M.
Robertson stressed that virtually
all agencies have approved the
new bridge route over Roosevelt
Island and said he was "highly
disturbed" that the tunnel bill
had been introduced "at' this
late hour" by Representative
Broyhill, Republican of Virginia
Mr.. Broyhill, a subcommittee
member, emphasized that he was
not against the bridge. But he
said he had introduced the bill
only because it appeared the
subcommittee was not going tn
consider the bridge amendment
unless the tunnel matter also
could come UP.
Smith Backed Tunnel
Representative Smith, Demo-
crat OF Virginia, and one of the
District Committees most influ-
entail members, is one of those
VINO has opposed the bridge and
mas spoken favorably of tunnel.
Although not a subcommittee
member, Mr.. Smith questioned
Gen, Lane sharply on several
points. He said he thought the
Districts decision to build a 81.
1oot-high bridge with no draw
span threatened future develop-
ment of the Georgetown Harbor
and pointedly suggested that the
District reconsider this.
Mr.. Smith also drew from
Gen. Lane a concession that the
Interior Department must on
pose the bridge since it has
failed to respond to requests for
approval Gen. Lane has been
seeking since December.
Backing up the Districts posi-
ton strenuously on the bridge
as against any kind of tunnel
were Joseph Barnett, Federal
Bureau of Public Roads, assist
ant deputy commissioner; C. q.
Stoneburner, Arlington County
highway chief. and r. r.
Schaefer of the New York River
tunnel firm of Smillie g. Griffin.