Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-16
Commissioners
ASK Future Ban
|0n DrawSpans
Fixed Type Satisfies
Potomac Need Best,
Congress Is Told

The District Commissioners
have advised Congress against
putting draw-spans in any fu-
ture Potomac bridges above
Hams Point. including the Con-
Istitution avenue bridge.
This stand was taken in
report submitted yesterday to
Senator Chavez, Democrat of
New Mexico, who heads the
Senate's Public Works Com
mittee.
Senator Chavez last month
asked for economic data on the
draw-span matter in connection
with the controversy over the
Constitution avenue bridge prof.
ect.
The House District Committee
will open hearings Tuesday on
the bridge controversy.
District officials have been
advocating fixed span for the
new bridge, but this plan has
drawn objections from two COM
mercial firms. Smoot Sand and
Gravel Corp. and American Oil
Co.. which use the portion of
the river above the projected
bridge site.
Issue Delayed Action
Congress last summer almost
reached the point Of ordering a
draw span, but last-minute OBJ
jections halted final action and
left the entire bridge project in
allegiance. The objections were
raised by Senator Gore, Demo-
crat of Tennessee.
The new bridge report was
prepared jointly by the District
Highway Department and the
Federal Bureau of Public Roads,
with some help from the Army
Corps of Engineers.
II repeated a previous rejec-
ticn of claims by Smoot and
American Oil that a fixed-span
Constitution avenue bridge would
seriously hurt their business OPP
erations.
| II also rejected a proposal to
substitute a tunnel for the
bridge. asserting a tunnel would
cost too much and serve traffic
less effectively. A tunnel is be-
ing advocated by the National
Park Service.
Leon Chatelain, jr., president
of the American Institute of
Architects. yesterday opposed the
Constitution avenue bridge
project and urged a tunnel in
stead. He said a bridge would
I"irreparably damage the char
Iacter and beauty Of the city.
The general stand against
draw-spans has a bearing on
projects besides the Constitution
avenue one. The new report said
its conclusion applies equally to
the slated replacement of the
present old Virginia bound
Fourteenth Street Bridge and a
contemplated bridge at Reaches
Run.
Smoot and American Oil are
the only firms now using the up
stream portion Of the Potomac
in question. the report stressed
1t conceded that the two COM
panies would have to make ad-
justments in their present opera
lions. But it asserted that a
fixed-span bridge would ac-
commodate both satisfactorily.
1t also said 1t was not in the
public interest to favor American
Oil against its competitors
under circumstances which
would not benefit the general
public through a reduction in
NOAAAAAOAAtJ ~ ANNS'
Plant in Georgetown
Smoot operates vessels that
haul sand and gravel dredged
downstream to a plant in George
town. The oil company has a
dock in Rosslyn. on the Virginia
side of the river just below Key
Bridge.
The Districts bridge plans.
which have Army Engineer APP
proval. provide for q 24.6-foot
vertical clearance for the Con-
stitution avenue bridge. which
the city hopes to build across
Roosevelt Island.
To adjust its operations to this
span. the bridge report suggested
that Smoot could switch to land
based equipment for occasional
dredging near its docks. 1t said
barges and towboats are avail
able that are low enough to
get under the proposed bridge.
The report suggested that
Amoco install two l0-inch pipe
lines from Four Mile Run. near
the National Airport. to RosSlyn,
or switch to smaller tankers.