Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-04-10
DC. Officials
Turn 10 Senate
In Bridge Fight
Will Press for Spon
Despite Approval Of
Tunnel by House Unit
By GEORGE BEYERIDGE

BY GEORGE BEvERIDGE
District officials will carry their
fight for a six-lane Potomac
River bridge at Constitution ave-
nue. to the Senate tomorrow.
despite a sharp setback in the
House.
The setback came when a
House District subcommittee
yesterday approved a bill direct
ing the Interior Department to
build a four-lane river tunnel
at Constitution avenue, instead
of a bridge.
A Senate District subcommit-
tee viii open hearings at 2:30
pm. tomorrow on the confused
bridge-tunnel mess. District En-
gineer Commissioner Thomas A.
Lane said city officials will "con-
tinue to oppose a four-lane tlin-
mel. as we have in the past" and
argue that a six-lane bridge is
required to handle traffic.
Chairman Davis, Democrat of
Georgia. said the House subcom-
mittee's action yesterday was
taken by a SCI vote Of the nine
man subcommittee. with two
members not voting. Voting in
opposition was Representative
Kearns. Republican of Pennsyl-
yania.
Motion Offered
During the closed-door ses.
sion, Mr.. Kearns offered a mo-
ton to finance a Constitution
avenue tunnel with tolls. When
this lost. he voted against the
tunnel. Mr.. Kearns told a re-
porter he proposed that 25-cent
round-trip commuter tolls be
charged. and that his toll sched-
ule would finance the tunnel con-
struction in Is years.
The Pennsylvania said he
felt a bill passed by the House
on Monday to authorize con-
struction of a replacement for
the old Virginia hound Four
teenth street bridge was "the
last free bridge or tunnel over
the Potomac the House will
vote"
The approved subcommittee
Dill would authorize the Interior
Secretary to construct the tunnel
and its approaches with a 100
per cent expenditure of Federal
funds. at a cost not to exceed
$25.5 million.
A number of amendments to
the bill, however, would give the
Interior Department sweeping
powers to get started inn
mediately. They include pro-
visions to-:
l. Permit Interior to get from
the District money it already has
been holding in anticipation of
building a bridge. The Budget
Bureau would determine precisely
how much Of the records. prop
erty and funds Of the District"
should lie transferred.
2. Authorize Interior to spend
up to 81 million out Of its general
funds to begin plans for the
tunnel.
8. Empower Interior to enter
contracts and incur obligations.
without direct appropriation in
hand, up TO the $25.5 million
authorized for the tunnel.
Spending Reviewed
District officials said they have
had about "a million set aside
in past years for the bridge but.
being unable to spend it, have
reallocated the money to prof.
ects on which it could be used.
This reallocation would be
authorized by the pending Dis
trict budget, which has been APP
proved by the House. and per-
mitted the District Highway De-
Ipartment to cut its original
budget request.
Yesterdays action was the first
time in nearly five years of argu-
ment over a bridge at Constitu-
ton avenue that any con-
Igressional unit has Endorsed a
tunnel in preference to a bridge.
Actually. legislation is already
on the books for a six-lane
bridge. But it was necessary this
year for the District to return to
Congress to seek their authorize
ton for bridge route crossing
Roosevelt Memorial Island in the
mid-Potomac. When the District
introduced legislation to accom-
lplish this. Federal Parks Service
officials also Reconstructed their
battle for a tunnel