Evening star., 1958-09-28
500 Attend
Road Hearing
In Arlington
County Board
Hears Views
On Routes
BY SAM EASTMAN
star staff Writer

highway system drew more
than 500 residents yesterday,
with the heaviest opposition
directed at q northern route.
The County Board spon-
: sored the hearing to obtain
Z. resident viewpoints .as = guide
to It's Recommendation on the
highways location.
The decision is up to State
highway officials, subject to
apprOvalyby the Federal Gov
ernment. The State Highway
Department is expected to an
nounce the date Of the official
hearing on Arlington's section
Of Route 66 within q few
=, days.
Yesterday. more than rs
speakers aired their views on
the three proposed routes aft
er a map and statistical brief
ing by County administration
ofiicials at Stratford Junior
High School.
Proposals Debated
The citizens argued against
one or more Of the proposed
routes rather than for any par
ticular corridor.
:, One proposal is to widen Ar
lington boulevard. The other
two suggested corridors are the.
Fairfax-Bluemont and North
: erly routes.
The Fairfax -Bluemont route
would enter the county from
Fairfax near Westmoreland
and North Thirty-flrst streets.
1t would follow Fairfax drive
to Glebe road and Bluemont
drive and. after curving north
Of Washington Lee, Hill h
School, would follow the WASH
> ington q Old Dominion Rail-,
road line to Kirkwood road and
then to Old Dominion drive.
The highway would swing
back and pass near the Wilson
School, cross Arlington Ridge
road to q connection with the
proposed Constitution avenue
bridge. Two alternate sections
of this route are also under
consideration. One alternate
would put the highway south
west. rather than east, Of the
East Falls Church business
area. The other is to cut the
highway south Of Washington
Lee High School.
Citizens Associations Heard
The northerly route would
scome into the county between
Thirty-seventh and North Ken
sington streets. It would run
in a southeast direction and
smerge with the Fairfax-Blue-
Hmont drive route at Lee high
way near Kirkwood road.
Yesterday, nine speakers
/. urged the County Board to rec
bornmend against the northefly
route. Organizations represent
ed included the Chamber Of
gCommerce. Arlington Civic
tFederation's executive commit
tee, Williamsburg Junior High
School Parent Teacher Associa-
EtiOn and three civic groups
donaldson Run, Rock Spring
and Northwest Arlington. A
representative Of the school ad-
ministration also supported this
stand.
Charles J. Walsh, assistant
school superintendent, said the
administration was concerned
with the proximity of the pro-
posed route to its buildings. Mr..
Walsh urged approval of the
tFairfax-Bluemont drive, using
the East Falls Church alternate.
Alfred Grove, Chamber of
Commerce president, said the
northern route twas out Of the
question" because Of the adj
verse impact it would have on
the county.
He added. however, that the
Chamber was concerned over
the loss Of the Bluemont-F Fair
fax traffic corridor to the In
terstate highway system. It is
needed, he said, to handle
county traffic.
John p. Coyle, the civic fed
Grafton representative, opposed
the northerly route and gave
qualified support TO the Fair
fax-Blueinont alternate.
Alternate Gets Backing
Other speakers who backed
this alternate included repre-
sefitatiyes Of the knights Of
Columbus and the East Falls
Church Civic Association.
Among those questioning the
wisdom Of selecting Fairfax
Bluemont, was c. B. MacLean,
Of the Dominion Hills Civic As
ISOLATION.
Two speakers urged the
County Board to recommend
against all three routes. One,
William Wolfe, Of the North
dlgnlanQS C1ClzenS ASSOCIATION,
said thata new highway would
disrupt Community patterns
and that the present county
road Ngstem should be inn
proved.
Allen D. Henry, of 1926 Lor-
com lane, asked the board ito
tell Uncle Sam to take the road
someplace else. -
Widening OF Arlington boule-
ward was supported by three
residents.
The County Board took nc
stand on the proposals. How
ever, Arlington planners favor
the airfax-Bluemont alternats
route.