An Act to authorize and direct the construction of bridges over the Potomac River, and for other purposes
PL 83-704 (H.R.1980), enacted 08/30/1954

Ante, p . 955. 
New Mexico. 
Retrocession. 
68 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 704-AUG. 30, 1954 
961 
jgjjQ 2 . 
a. Section 1 (d) of the Act of December 29,1950 (64 Stat. 1129), is 
s use io3i(d). 
amended by inserting before the period at the end thereof a semicolon 
and the following: "when such order was entered by the Atomic Energy 
Commission, 'agency' means that Commission". 
b. Section 2 of the Act of Decemjjer 29, 1950 (64 Stat. 1129), is 
lou^^of Ap-
amended by inserting before the period at the end of the first para- P®"^^' ju'isdic-
graph thereof a comma and the following: "and (d) of the Atomic 
Energy Commission made reviewable by section 189 of the Atomic 
Energy Act of 1954, as amended". 
SEC. 3. There is hereby retroceded to the State of New Mexico the 
exclusive jurisdiction heretofore acquired from the State of New 
Mexico by the United States of America over the following land of 
the United States Atomic Energy Commission in Bernalillo County 
and within the boundaries of the Sandia base, Albuquerque, New 
Mexico. 
Beginning at the center quarter corner of section 30, township 10 
north, range 4 east, New Mexico principal meridian, Bernalillo 
County, New Mexico, thence south no degrees twenty-three minutes 
thirty seconds west one thousand nine hundred forty-seven and twenty 
one-hundredths feet, thence north eighty-nine degrees thirty-six min-
utes forty-five seconds east two thousand sixty-eight and forty one-
hundredths feet, thence north eighty-nine degrees three minutes fif-
teen seconds east five hundred forty-six feet, thence north no degrees 
thirty-nine minutes no seconds east two hundred thirty-two and sev-
enty one-hundredths feet, thence north eighty-nine degrees twenty-
one minutes no seconds west eight hundred fifty-two and twenty one-
hundredths feet, thence north no degrees thirty-nine minutes no sec-
onds east five hundred and sixty one-hundredths feet, thence along 
the back of the south curb of West Sandia Drive, Sandia Base, Ber-
nalillo County, New Mexico, eight hundred sixty-five and sixty one-
hundredths feet, thence north no degrees thirty-nine minutes no sec-
onds east one thousand three hundred thirty-five and three-tenths feet 
to a point south eighty-nine degrees twenty-seven minutes forty-five 
seconds west a distance of thirty feet from the quarter corner common 
to sections 30 and 29, township 10 north, range 4 east, thence south 
eighty-nine degrees, twenty-seven minutes forty-five seconds west two 
thousand six hundred twenty-three and forty one-hundredths feet 
to the point of beginning. 
This retrocession of jurisdiction shall take effect upon acceptance 
by the State of New Mexico. 
Approved August 30, 1954, 9:44 a.m., E.D.T. 
Public Law 704 
CHAPTER 1074 
' ' ^ ^^^ 
August 30, 1954 
To authorize and direct the construction of bridges over the Potomac River, and 
[H. R. 1980] 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress 
assembled, 
TITLE I—BRIDGE IN VICINITY OF CONSTITUTION 
AVENUE 
That (a) the Commissioners of the District of Columbia are author-
ized and directed to construct, maintain, and operate a low-level bridge 
over the Potomac River, from the vicinity of Constitution Avenue 
39777 O—55—pt. 1 
63 
Potomac R i v e r 
bridges. 
PUBLIC LAW 704-AUG. 30, 1954 
[68 S T A T , 
Pedestrian 
a c -
cess. 
Submi s s i o n of 
plans t o Commis-
sion of Fine Arts. 
Appropriation. 
Transfer of lands 
by Federal 
agen-
cies. 
Agreement 
with 
S t » t e 
H i g h w a y 
Commission, Va, 
Use of lands for 
preliminary work. 
in the District of Columbia to the Virginia side of the Potomac River, 
such bridge to be constructed north of the Memorial Bridge and 
south of the southern portion of Theodore Roosevelt Island sometimes 
referred to as "Small Island", together with bridge approaches and 
roads connecting such bridge and approaches with streets and park 
roads in the District of Columbia and with streets and park roads on 
the Virginia side of the Potomac River: Provided^ That in planning 
such bridge approaches and connecting roads, the Commissioners shall 
consult with the National Capital Planning Commission. 
(b) The Commissioners of the District of Columbia are authorized 
to construct and maintain a structure to provide pedestrian access 
from the low-level bridge referred to in subsection (a) of this section 
to the aforesaid "Small Island": Provided^ That before entering into 
any contract for such structure providing pedestrian access, the plans 
therefor shall be approved by the Theodore Roosevelt Association. 
(c) The Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized to construct, 
maintain, and operate a structure connecting the main body of Theo-
dore Roosevelt Island and the aforesaid portion thereof referred to 
as "Small Island" to provide pedestrian access between such islands: 
Provided, That the plans for such structure connecting such islands 
shall be subject to the approval of the Theodore Roosevelt Association. 
(d) The plans for any bridge or other structure authorized by this 
title shall be submitted to the Commission of Fine Arts for advice 
with respect to the architectural features of any such bridge or struc-
ture, and no contract for the construction thereof may be entered into 
until this subsection shall have been complied with: Promded, That 
upon failure of the Commission of Fine Arts to report its advice 
within ninety days of submission of plans to it, the requirements of 
this subsection shall be deemed to have been met. 
(e) Appropriations for construction of the bridge and other struc-
tures authorized by this title, payable from the highway fund of the 
District of Columbia, in amounts not exceeding $24,500,000 are hereby 
authorized. 
SEC. 102. The Federal agencies having control and jurisdiction over 
the lands at and adjacent to the ends of the bridge shall transfer to the 
Commissioners of the District of Columbia, upon their request, the 
areas to be occupied by said bridge, approaches, and connecting roads, 
all as shown more particularly on plans of such bridge, approaches, 
and connecting roads, to be prepared and approved by the Commis-
sioners of the District of Columbia and the Bureau of Public Roads, 
Department of Commerce. 
SEO. 103. The Commissioners of the District of Columbia are author-
ized to enter into an agreement or agreements with the State Highway 
Commission of Virginia, acting for and on behalf of the Common-
wealth of Virginia, for the purpose of providing for cooperation by 
the State Highway Commission of Virginia, to such extent as the 
Commissioners of the District of Columbia shall deem necessary, in 
the construction of said bridge, approaches, and connecting roads, 
acquisition of land for rights-of-way, contributions toward costs, tem-
porary or permanent closing of existing roads, and any other matters 
relating to the construction of said bridge which the Commissioners of 
the District of Columbia may consider appropriate. 
SEC. 104. The Commissioners of the District of Columbia are author-
ized to make such use of federally owned and controlled lands at and 
adjacent to the bridge as may be necessary for making borings, per-
forming other preliminary work, routing and rerouting traffic, con-
structing said bridge, approaches, and connecting roads, and storing 
of materials incident to such preliminary work and to actual 
construction. 
68 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 7 0 4 - A U G . 30, 1954 
963 
SEC. 105. The Commissioners of the District of Columbia are author- etl'^"'' routing, 
ized and directed to route and reroute and to cause the routing and 
rerouting of traffic on, and to close or cause to be closed, park roads, 
streets, and highways under the jurisdiction of the United States, 
and to negotiate for the closing of roads by agreement with Virginia 
t 
authorities, where necessary in connection with the preparation of 
plans for, and during the actual construction of, said bridge, 
approaches, and connecting roads. The Commissioners of the District ch^ge^s "in^ p'ar k 
of Columbia are further authorized to prepare plans for such changes roads, 
in park roads as they deem necessary to provide maximum efficiency in 
handling traffic to and from said bridge, and when such plans are 
approved by the Bureau of Public Roads, to construct roads in con-
formity with such approved plans. 
SEC. 106. (a) The National Park Service is authorized and directed pUnui^materiaisf 
to remove or transplant to other locations any and all planting mate- «
*
<
=
• 
rials within the area to be used for the bridge, approaches, and con-
necting roads or for construction purposes, when requested by the 
Commissioners of the District of Columbia. The Commissioners of 
the District of Columbia are authorized and directed to regrade the 
areas involved in the construction of the bridge, approaches, and con-
necting roads so as to conform with the plans to be approved by them 
and the Bureau of Public Roads. 
(b) Upon completion of said bridge, approaches, and connecting 
Landscaping, 
roads and the regrading of the areas, or prior thereto, when authorized 
by the Commissioners of the District of Columbia and when such 
operation or operations will not interfere with the construction of said 
bridge, approaches, and connecting roads, the National Park Service 
is directed to landscape such areas in accordance with the plans of the 
National Park Service as may be approved by the Commissioners of 
the District of Columbia and the Bureau of Public Roads, the cost of 
said landscaping to be paid out of funds made available for the 
purposes of this title. 
SEC. 107. The cost of construction, reconstruction, and repair of all changes."' '°^'^ 
roads which are changed or made necessary as an incident to the 
construction of said bridge, approaches, and connecting roads, when 
approved by the Commissioners of the District of Columbia and the 
Bureau of Public Roads, shall be paid out of funds made available for 
construction of said bridge, approaches, and connecting roads. 
SEC. 108. The right to alter, amend, or repeal this title is hereby 
expressly reserved. 
TITLE II—BRIDGE IN VICINITY OF JONES POINT 
SEC. 201. (a) The Secretary of the Interior (referred to hereinafter 
as the "Secretary") is authorized and directed to construct, maintain, 
and operate a six-lane bridge over the Potomac River, from a point 
at or near Jones Point, Virginia, across a certain portion of the Dis-
trict of Columbia, to a point in Maryland, together with bridge 
approaches on property owned by the United States in the State of 
Virginia. 
(b) The bridge shall be of deck girder structure with a swing span 
structure, 
having a one-hundred-and-fifty-foot horizontal clearance on each side 
of the pivot pier and a seventy-foot vertical clearance above mean low 
water, and shall be constructed in accordance with the provisions of 
subsection (b) of Section 502 of the "General Bridge Act of 1946," 
approved August 2, 1946 (60 Stat, 847), as amended, and subject to 
^3 use 525. 
the conditions and limitations in this title. 
(c) The Secretary shall request recommendations and suggestions mrada^f^nJ**^""^ 
of the National Capital Planning Commission relative to the design 
of such bridge and approaches. 
964 
PUBLIC LAW 70 5-AUG. 30, 1954 
[68 
S T A T . 
Transfer of lands 
b y Federal agen-
cies. 
Land in Mary-
land, acquisition. 
Use of lands for 
preliminary work. 
Traffic routing, 
etc. 
Approaches, as-
s u r a n c e s of Va. 
and Md. 
Appropriation. 
SEC. 202. (a) Any Federal agency and the District of Columbia 
having control and jurisdiction over any land at or near the site of 
the bridge shall transfer to the Secretary, upon his request, any sucli 
lands to be occupied by the bridge or approaches thereto. 
(b) The Secretary may acquire by purchase or by condemnation any 
land in the State of Maryland, not under Federal or District jurisdic-
tion or control, needed for the construction of such bridge, title to such 
land to be taken directly to and in the name of the United States. 
In 
case a price satisfactory to the Secretary cannot be agreed upon for 
the purchase of such land or in case the title cannot be made satis-
factory to the Attorney (xeneral of the United States, then the 
latter is directed to procure such land by condemnation, and the 
expenses of procuring evidence of title, or condemnation, or both, shall 
be paid from funds made available for the purposes of this title. 
SEC. 203. (a) The Secretary may make such use of lands owned or 
controlled by the United States, at or adjacent to the site of the bridge, 
as may be necessary for making borings, performing other prelimi-
nary work, routing and rerouting traffic, constructing such bridge, 
approaches, and connecting roads, and storing materials incident to 
such preliminary work and to actual construction. 
(b) The Secretary may route and reroute and cause the routing 
and rerouting of traffic on, and close or cause to be closed, streets, 
roads, and highways under the jurisdiction of the United States, and 
negotiate for the closing of streets, roads, and highways by contact 
with Virginia, Maryland, and District authorities, when necessary in 
connection with the preparation of plans for, and during the actual 
construction of, the bridge. 
SEC. 204. Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, the 
Secretary shall not begin construction of the bridge above referred to 
until the State of Virginia and the State of Maryland have taken such 
steps as the Secretary deems adequate to give assurances that there 
will be constructed and maintained, by and in such States, such 
approaches to such bridge as will be reasonably adequate to make 
possible the full and efficient utilization of such bridge. 
SEC. 205. The sum of $14,925,000 is hereby authorized to be appro-
priated out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, 
to carry out the provisions of this title. 
SEC. 206. The right to alter, amend, or repeal this title is hereby 
expressly reserved. 
Approved August 30, 1954. 
Public Law 705 
CHAPTER 1075 
, 
, „ _ 
JOINT RESOLUTION 
August 30, 1954 
[s. J. Res. 147] 
To establish the Woodrow Wilson Centennial Celebration Commission, and for 
other purposes. 
Woodrow Wilson 
Centennial Cele-
bration C o m m i s-
sion. 
Establishment. 
Resolved hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled^ That (a) there is hereby 
established a commission to be known as the "Woodrow Wilson Cen-
tennial Celebration Commission" (hereinafter referred to as the "Com-
mission") which shall be composed of twelve members as follows: 
(1) Two members who shall be Members of the Senate, to be ap-
pointed by the President of the Senate; 
(2) Two members who shall be members of the House of Representa-
tives, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;