Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-08-05
D. c. Bridge Permit
To Expire Aug. %
Highway Dept.
Asks Extension:
Farley Slated

The Corps of Engineers per.
nit to the District Commission.
ers for construction of a Con.
avenue bridge across
the Potomac. expires August %.
it was learned today.
The city cannot build the
disputed span unless construc-
ton is begun within 10 days
despite the 1854 congressional
authorization for the bridge.
Highway Director j. N. Robert
son said contracts could not be
let for a year.
Highway officials are pre-
pairing a request for an extern
sion Of the permit, according
to r. L. Wadsworth. chief Of
the civil works branch of the
District Engineers office.
To try to solve the problem.
the Commissioners plan to take
up the question tomorrow Of
what to do about the long
delayed Constitution avenue
bridge proposal.
Before them will be the High
way Departments request for a
permit extension, as we'll as
legal advice on whether to pro-
coed Immediately under the old
authorization.
Navigation a Factor
The Commissioners always
have favored bridge rather
than a tunnel.
Corps of Engineer spokesman
said engineers were inclined to
grant the request IF there has
been no change since 1854 in
river navigation"
Major river navigators are
the Smoot Sand & Gravel Co.
OF Alexandria and the Amer
lean Oil Co. Both firms have
gained strong support from
Representative Smith, Demo-
crat of Virginia, who was con-
sidered likely to reopen the old
bridge dispute because the
corps permit called for a low
level, fixed span bridge.
In another development,
Senator Bible. Democrat of Ne
vada. took the Senate floor to-
day to urge the Commissioners
to proceed at once to re-exam-
Inc all factors in the Constitu-
ton avenue bridge issue and
to bear in mind they have STAT
utory authority to build a six
lane bridge.
Stresses Bridge Need
Senator Bible, chairman Of
the Fiscal Subcommittee of the
Senate District Committee. de-
clared: Traffic conditions
alone dictate that a bridge is
needed now"
The Nevada Senator told his
colleagues:
The District government
has the money and the au-
thority to proceed with the
bridge. and to do so would
eliminate the fixed versus
drawSpan controversy that has
plagued both houses for sew
eral years. 1t would also solve
the same dispute as to what
type span should be constructed
in the Fourteenth Street re-
placement bridge"
Senator Bible and others
favoring a Six-lane fixed-span
bridge were defeated in the
Senate by advocates of a four
lane tunnel. He recalled that
in the House last Thursday and
Friday the same issue devel-
oped but that the House by a
vote of 225 to lot favored a
bridge against a tunnel but
then voted to recommit the
bill.
Problem Of Cost
Robert E. Mclaughlin. pres
ident of the Board of Commits
sionerS said he still thought
a bridge would be more beau
tiful, less expensive and more
efficient" But he was con-
cerned with language of the old
bridge authorization of S25 mil
lion. If construction costs have
gone up so that a bridge that
would have cost SOS million two
years ago now costs more,
should the Commissioners pro-
coed under the old cost level?
he asked.
He said he hoped for a deci-
sion tomorrow on what to tell
the White House the, city faith
ers would plan for a river
crossing.
Representative Broyhill, Re-
publican of Virginia. who spon-
sored tunnel legislation killed
by the House last week. urged
Mr.. Mclaughlin this morning
to proceed with the bridge
plans.
Asks Conference
He told the Commissioners
he had asked for a White House
conference with President Ei-
Senhower this week to be at
tended by the Commissioners
and Interior Department repre-
sentatives. Interior has pro-
NOTED a tunnel in the past
rather than a bridge near the
Memorial crossing.
Col. A. c. yelling, successor
to former Engineer Commits
sioner Thomas A. Lane. said
he would go before the Board
of Commissioners tomorrow
without a definite recommen-
dation on the bridge. He called
the issues intricate"
Il believe that I not only will
not have recommendation to-
morrow, but will not have one
the day after tomorrow" Col.
-