Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-11-14
Key Bridge Is Ruled
Out as Truck Link
kitken Cites
Deck Strength.
Loss Of Funds
BY CHARLES ID. PIERCE
Star Staff Writer

By CHARLES ID. PIERCE
Star Staff Writer
Key Bridge could not be used
for interstate truck traffic as q
substitute fro a Three Sisters
Bridge, Harold Aitken, director
of the District Highway. De-
partment, said today.
Mr.. Aitken explained that
the entire deck of Key Bridge
would have to be reconstructed
if it were to be used by such
traffic.
Reconstruction would re-
quire closing Key Bridge to
traffic while this work was
DONE" Mr.. Aitken said. This
bridge now carries $4,000 We
hicles a day and / am not about
to propose that it be closed"
Mr.. Aitken also said that the
District would lose about $26
million in Federal matching
funds if a new bridge for in
terstate traffic is not built near
Three Sisters Island.
Explains Eligibility E
He explained that If an ade-
quate river crossing Is not pro-
vided the District will be ineIi-
gible for 80 per cent matching
Federal funds for the Potomac
River freeway or the west leg
tying the Theodore Roosevelt
Bridge with the Potomac River
freeway. =
Mr.. Aitken said that the Dis
trict Commissioners in effect
committed themselves to con-
struction of a bridge in the
Three Sisters area when they
approved yesterday a general
plan for a section of the Poto-
mac River freeway from Thirty
first and K streets NV. to
Georgetown University.
While Engineer Commissioner
Frederick j. Clarke SHE'D away
from saying that the commits
sioners are now committed to
a Three Sisters Bridge. he said
trat Mr.. Aitken and / are
really not far apart in the way
we see things"
Brig. Gen. Clarke said the
possibility that the District
could lose the 80 per cent Fed
j eral matching funds applies
, not only to the Potomac Rive
freeway but also to all freeway
. construction back to the Theo'
! dore Roosevelt Bridge,
Freeway Seen Needed Z
Mr.. Aitken and I are both
Iof the opinion that some sort
of Potomac River freeway is
needed. 1t is a common element
of the National Capital Trans
portation Agency plan and the
Highway Departments plan"
| Mr.. Aitken said approval Of
the freeway plan by the Com
misSioners yesterday authorized
the Highway Department to
begin detailed planning for
elimination of the two ramps
connecting Key Bridge with
the Whitehurst freeway.
He said these two ramps "are
not compatible" with the kind
of freeway system planned"
He explained that these turn
off ramps are too narrow and
cause traffic congestion.
Mr.. Aitken also said that
under the Districts plan the
present four-lane Whitehurst
freeway will handle only west
bound traffic. The four-lane
Potomac River freeway to be
built parallel to the Whitehurst
frteway will accommodate east
bound traffic only.
This means that Key Bridge
will be available exclusively for
local traffic since it will have
no connection to the freeway
system.
Middle Reinforced
Mr.. Aitken said that Key
Bridge was built in 1923 and
that the middle of the Structure
was reinforced to handle the
streetcars that used to travel
over the bridge.
He added that when the
bridge was widened in 1857
the outside lanes were built
to carry about 10 tons safely.
The highway director said
that there are signs on both
ends Of the bridge warning
Trucks Use Only Center
Lanes"
The District and the Virginia
Highway Departments have
both concluded that it would
not be economically feasible to
build the type of ramps to Key
Bridge that would be required
for interstate truck traffic, Mr..
Aitken said. -
Truck Ban Sought
Asked If the Theodore RooSe-
welt Bridge now under con-
struction could be used by
interstate truck traffic, Mr..
Aitken said that the White
House during President Eisen-
hower's administration had
asked that trucks be banned
from the Roosebelt Bridge.
The highway director also
said that the general Potomac
River freeway plan approved
yesterday by the District Com
misSioners provides for con-
struction of a ramp connecting
an extension of Prospect street
to the Georgetown University
parking lot.
He explained that this ramp
would be necessary because the
freeway construction would cut
off the present connection be-
tween the university and Canal
road.
Mr.. Aitken said everything
in the plan approved yesterday
by the Commissioners had
previously been Endorsed by the
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