Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-07-27
Proposes
FreewayR Route
Riverside ChoseH
As Best of Six
Continued From First Page

section of the city would not
be so steep as to require extra
lanes for slower moving vehicles
such as trucks.
Interference with traffic dur
ing actual construction would
be at a minimum.
On the esthetic side, more
over the report observes that
the suggested route would be
"close enough to the canal to
provide an inspiring view. yet
far enough away to preserve its
natural characteristics. To
visitors coming from the north
and west, the approach will
offer an excellent panorama
with the Washington Monu-
ment as centerpiece."
In finer detail, the proposed
route would be overpassed by
three streets in the Palisades
area-Newark and Macomb
streets and Dana place, as we'll
as by the proposed Arizona
avenue bridge and existing Key
Bridge.
1t would be elevated not only
over the Potomac Unbound
lane) from Georgetown Uni
versity to Thirty-fourth street,
but over Foxhall road and
Glover-Archbold Park. The ex-
listing Whitehurst freeway
would be modified, especially
around Key Bridge, and ex-
tended to a point near the
university to handle outbound
traffic. The "over-the-waves"
part Of the project would be
as much as 125 feet offshore.
Other Proposed Routes
The alternative route studied
and rejected:
/. Modified riverside. The
outbound lanes would be on
high ground in the Palisades
area; the inbound lanes along
the line of Canal road. One
objection would be the close
proximity of the freeway to
the Gao Canal, with resulting
harm to its recreation use. The
other is that Chain Bridge
would be restricted to handling
only inbound traffic entering
the freeway from Virginia and
inbound traffic on the freeway
entering Virginia via the
bridge. Cost: SAT million.
2. Riverside-crosstown to the
vicinity of Dupont Circle. A
half-mile section of Rock Creek
Park would be "obliterated" by
the freeway near Massachusetts,
avenue. The route would re-
quire moving eleven foreign
diplomatic headquarters from
Embassy Row." Betwee
Thirty-seventh street and Rock
Creek Park. a distance of nearly
one mile. the road would have
a three per cent grade. This
would be steep enough to slow
truck traffic to such degree
that an extra passing lane
would be needed for other We
hicles. Cost; $50.4 million.
3. District line near Reno
road. under Tenley circle.
through Glover Archbold Park
to riverside route into down.
town. The engineering firm
conceded this location appears
desirable. The biggest draw
back, however. is that the Dis
trict and National Park Service
long ago agreed that trucks
would be banned from Glover
Archbold Park. Further, the
families who donated the park
land contend their gift agree
ments specifically prohibits all
but passenger vehicles to travel
there. Prohibitive right-of-way
costs in the Georgetown area
would be encountered. Serious
grade problems over a total
distance of 5000 feet would also
have to be faced. Cost: $50 s
million.
4. A combination Of (2) and
90 which would avoid use of
the lower end Of Glover-Arch-
bold Park and the riverside
section. From a purely traffic
service standpoint this would
be nearly ideal. the firm stated.
However. this route would "in-
trude" on valuable housing.
embassies and other properties
Of national and international
significance. Here again would
crop up the problem over the
use Of Glover-Archbold PARK
and Of two steep climbing
grades. Cost: $685. million.
5. Wisconsin avenue. The
consultant gave this only pass
ing notice with a conclusion it
is mot considered practical. :"
The required 200-foot right-of-
way along this heavily-de-
veloped thoroughfare would
literally wreck" business
establishments. apartme n t
houses and homes. on at least
one side Of the avenue whose
present width now ranges from
| only IS to so feet. The firm
did not even work up q cost
estimate on this one.