Volume 68 · 962
Public Law 83–704
To authorize and direct the construction of bridges over the Potomac River, and for other purposes.
Approved August 30, 1954
Statutory text
AN ACT
To authorize and direct the construction of bridges over the Potomac River, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
TITLE I— BRIDGE IN VICINITY OF CONSTITUTION AVENUE
That
the Commissioners of the District of Columbia are authorized and directed to construct, maintain, and operate a low-level bridge over the Potomac River, from the vicinity of Constitution Avenue 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.
The Commissioners of the District of Columbia are authorized
Pedestrian access.
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.
The Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized to construct, maintain, and operate a structure connecting the main body of Theodore 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.
The plans for any bridge or other structure authorized by this
Submission of plans to Commission of Fine Arts.
title shall be submitted to the Commission of Fine Arts for advice with respect to the architectural features of any such bridge or structure, and no contract for the construction thereof may be entered into until this subsection shall have been complied with: Provided, 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.
Appropriations for construction of the bridge and other structures
Appropriation.
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
Transfer of lands by Federal agencies.
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 Commissioners of the District of Columbia and the Bureau of Public Roads, Department of Commerce.
Sec. 103.
The Commissioners of the District of Columbia are authorized
Agreement with State Highway Commission, Va.
to enter into an agreement or agreements with the State Highway Commission of Virginia, acting for and on behalf of the Commonwealth 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, temporary 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 authorized
Use of lands for preliminary work.
to make such use of federally owned and controlled lands at and adjacent to the bridge as may be necessary for making borings, performing other preliminary work, routing and rerouting traffic, constructing said bridge, approaches, and connecting roads, and storing of materials incident to such preliminary work and to actual construction.
Sec. 105.
The Commissioners of the District of Columbia are authorized
Traffic routing, etc.
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 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
Plans for changes in park roads.
of Columbia are further authorized to prepare plans for such changes 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 conformity with such approved plans.
Sec. 106.
The National Park Service is authorized and directed
Removal of planting materials, etc.
to remove or transplant to other locations any and all planting materials within the area to be used for the bridge, approaches, and connecting 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 connecting roads so as to conform with the plans to be approved by them and the Bureau of Public Roads.
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
Cost of road 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.
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 District of Columbia, to a point in Maryland, together with bridge approaches on property owned by the United States in the State of Virginia.
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
the conditions and limitations in this title.
The Secretary shall request recommendations and suggestions
Design, recommendations.
of the National Capital Planning Commission relative to the design of such bridge and approaches.
Sec. 202.
Any Federal agency and the District of Columbia
Transfer of lands by Federal agencies.
having control and jurisdiction over any land at or near the site of the bridge shall transfer to the Secretary, upon his request, any such lands to be occupied by the bridge or approaches thereto.
The Secretary may acquire by purchase or by condemnation any
Land in Maryland, acquisition.
land in the State of Maryland, not under Federal or District jurisdiction 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 satisfactory to the Attorney General 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.
The Secretary may make such use of lands owned or
Use of lands for preliminary work.
controlled by the United States, at or adjacent to the site of the bridge, as may be necessary for making borings, performing other preliminary work, routing and rerouting traffic, constructing such bridge, approaches, and connecting roads, and storing materials incident to such preliminary work and to actual construction.
The Secretary may route and reroute and cause the routing
Traffic routing, etc.
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
Approaches, assurances of Va. and Md.
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 appropriated
Appropriation.
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.