Evening star., 1959-10-13
Cabin John
Span Trouble
Settlement Due

CCuCIdl DuIedu VI EuUAlC
Roads.
The promise came as q rep
resentative of the parks agency
sought to minimize the dispute
and declared las far as we
know there is no area of dis.
pute."
| A public roads official said
action probably would be taken
by Top highway officials next
week to get the two agencies
together in an attempt to iron
out differences that threaten to
hold up bridge construction.
The bridge has a completion
target date of July, 1861. The
Maryland Roads Commission
has said that a months delay
now in reaching agreement on
bridge plans could hold up the
construction more than a year.
The bridge will carry the
Wa h in gton circumferential
highway across the river and
provide a major access to the
new Central Intelligence Agency
headquarters being built at
Langley. Va.
"Details" Argued
Chairman Donald E. Gingery
of the National Capital Regional
Planning Council sought to air
the dispute publicly yesterday
at a meeting of the council in
Silver Spring.
Robert C. Horne, chief of the
division of design and construc-
ton for National Capital Parks,
said that only "details" were
involved in differences between
his agency and the Maryland
Roads Commission.
Mr.. Gingery reported that the
details repeatedly amount to a
million dollars. He was sharp
ly critical of the parks service
role in the apparent delay in
getting the bridge designs un-
der way.
He also made it clear he was
disgusted with the parks serv-
ice presentation at the meeting.
Mr.. Horne repeatedly con-
tended that there we're diff
ferenceS only in details. He
added, however. that there had
been numerous meetings and
exchanges of letters between
the two agencies involving the
bridge.
Over Some Park Land =,
The bridge must cross about
1900 feet of parkland along
side the river owned by the
Federal park agency. The bridge
is being built with 80 per cent
Federal and 10 per cent State
funds.
Mr.. Horne contended that the
parks service had approved a
general scheme for the bridge
in June, 1857. He said a Mary
land revision in November,
1858, was disapproved because
of a proposed 6OO-foot-long
land fill which would cut off one
channel of the river that sepa-
rates Plummers Island-a bird
sanctuary-from the mainland.
The park service, however.
approved a compromise scheme
submitted by the Maryland
agency in July of this year, he
said, adding that developmen3
plans for this scheme were
submitted IN August and that
the park service. had returned
them with their comments Sep
tember 20. So far he said no
further messages had been re-
Iceived from the Maryland
agency.
He denied any knowledge of
the matter being submitted to
the bureau of public roads for
arbitration.
Past Cases Charged
Mr.. Gingery charged that
the parks service had held up
plans for other road projects
in the past. He especially
named the Constitution avenue
bridge and the southwest leg
of Route 240 in the Cabin John
Valley area.
The planning council chair
man said he felt Congress
should leave the issues of
bridge construction plans up
to the States when the State
must pay the bill for construc-
ton.
I'VE can't promise to build
a bridge out of gold just be-
cause someone thinks it would
be prettier." Mr.. Gingery said.
Mr.. Horne said the parks
service had made one sugges-
ton to the roads agency which
would save some $450,000. He
said the parks agency had
recommended that two bridges
carrying connecting links be-
tween the main bridge and the
George Washington Memorial
parkway be eliminated.
Questions by Foley
The planning council was
Joined in questioning Mr..
Horne by Representative Foley.
Democrat of Maryland.
The planning council, after
hearing Mr.. Horne's presenta-
ton, directed its staff to inquire
into the entire matter and sub
nit a report to it for action at
its next meeting. The report
also will go to Mr.. Foley.
Mr.. Gingery said the Mary
land Roads Commission was
not represented at the meeting,
yesterday because all Of it's top
officials were attending a spe-
cial session in Boston.