Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-20


Immediately with officials of the
Smithsonian Institution, who
control the Zoo grounds. on a.
precise route for the extension.
At the same time, staff officials
Of the National Capital Parks
and the District Highway De-
partment conferred last week on
a number of road projects, vital
to city traffic movement. which
involve Federal park lands.
These meetings are aimed at
attempting a closer relationship
between city and park road prof.
ects in budgets of the two agen-
cies.
Dispute Recalled
The lack of such a relation
ship was pointed up last week in
a dispute between Mr.. WirthI
and District Engineer Commits
sioner Thomas A. Lane over who
was responsible for building a.
traffic route across Rock Creek
between Park road on the east
and Tilden street on the west.
This crosS-park route was
eliminated last fell, when the
District closed its Park road
bridge leading to Tilden street.
The bridge was closed on a find
ing thar it was unsafe to carry
traffic.
District officials contend it has
been planned for many years
that the old Park road bridge
would be closed as soon as the
Park Service extended the Rock
Greek and Potomac parkway
from its present terminus, un-
der the Calvert street bridge
south of the Zoo grounds, to-
Colorado avenue. A part of this
road extension, near Park road,
city officials argue, would let
motorists get from one side of
the park to the other and rule
out the need for the Park road
bridge.
After the Park road bridge
was closed, Gen. Lane wrote Mr..
Wirth last October to ask
whether the Park Service would
build the needed parkway Sec
ton Immediately.
Two Viewpoints Noted
Mr.. Wirth, in an exchange of
letters released last week, said
the Park Service had no money
budgeted for the roads. He sug-
geSted. instead, that the city
might rebuild the Park road
bridge.
In an interview, Mr.. With
said his position is that the
"cross-park" traffic problem is
entirely separate from the old
plans to build the parkway for
north-south traffic to Colorado
avenue. The problem of getting
across the park is the Districts
not our.
City officials contend they
can't justify spending 100000
to rebuild the old bridge, how
ever. If the park roads to serve
the same purpose eventually will
be built.
The extension of the parkway
itself. meanwhile. has long on
again-off -again history.
At present, the parkway ends
at a ford at the Zoos south en-.
trance near the Calvert street.
bridge. When the ford is closed
as it is a good portion Of the
year-northbound traffic must
swing from the parkway either
to Cathedral avenue or Calvert
street.
Approved In l948
In 1948. the National Capital
Planning Commission approved
plans-presumably with Park
Service approval-to extend the
parkway. The plans called for
the parkway to bypass the ford
and cross Rock Creek on bridge,
tunnel through a rocky hill
south of the Zoo and follow the
east side Of the Zoo grounds on
four-lane road to link with
Colorado avenue north of Piney
Branch.
In August. 1858, Mr.. Wirth
budgeted $685., 400 to start the
project. But it never was begun
and the money was spent for
another purpose.
In 1854. Mr.. Wirth proposed
that, instead Of a four-lane road
to Colorado avenue. the extern
sion be built around the Zoo as
a twO-lane road. only to connect