(a) The Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized to provide for the construction, maintenance, and operation of a bridge, with visitor facilities, over the Washington Channel, from the vicinity of 10th Street Southwest to East Potomac Park in Washington, District of Columbia. The structure may be so designed and constructed as to provide facilities for the accommodation of visitors to the Nation’s Capital area, and to provide convenient and adequate access to East Potomac Park.

(b) The Secretary may obtain and use such lands or interests therein owned, controlled, or administered by the District of Columbia, the District of Columbia Redevelopment Land Agency, the Corps of Engineers, or any other Government agency, with the prior consent of such agency or agencies, as he shall consider necessary for the construction and operation of said bridge, without cost or reimbursement. Before construction is commenced, the location and plans for the bridge shall be approved by the Chief of Engineers and the Secretary of the Army subject to such conditions as they may prescribe, in accordance with § 525(b) of Title 33, United States Code.

(c) The Secretary is authorized to enter into appropriate arrangements for the construction and operation of the bridge in accordance with the authority contained in § 3 [repealed] of Title 16, United States Code, as amended, except that any such arrangements need not be limited to a maximum term of 30 years. The bridge, at all times, shall be under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior, and shall be administered, operated, maintained, and policed as a part of the park system of the National Capital.

(d) The Secretary of the Interior shall cooperate with other federal and local agencies with respect to the construction and operation of the bridge by him and the construction and operation of associated facilities by such other federal and local agencies including the District of Columbia Redevelopment Land Agency which shall enter into appropriate arrangements by negotiation or public bid to: (1) lease all or part of the land bounded by Maine Avenue, Ninth Street and the Southwest Freeway, Southwest, to provide for the construction, maintenance and operation of a structured automobile parking facility designed to accommodate visitors to East Potomac Park; and (2) provide for the construction of: (A) a public park or overlook, which park is to be maintained and operated by the National Park Service; and (B) roads providing access to the 10th Street Mall from the Southwest Freeway and to and from 9th Street, Southwest, which roads shall be maintained and operated by the District of Columbia. Any lease of the aforementioned area, executed by the District of Columbia Redevelopment Land Agency, shall provide appropriate easements for the construction, maintenance and operation of the aforesaid public park and roadways. Local agencies may enter into arrangements with the person, persons, corporation or corporations, as the Secretary may select pursuant to subsection (c) of this section for the construction and operation of necessary associated facilities otherwise authorized.

(e)(1) There is hereby established an Advisory Committee, which shall be composed of the Chairman, National Capital Planning Commission; the Chairman, Commission of Fine Arts; the Commissioner of the District of Columbia; the Chief of Engineers, United States Army; the Chairman, District of Columbia Redevelopment Land Agency; and 3 members to be appointed by the Secretary of the Interior from among the residents of the Metropolitan Washington area. The ex-officio members of the Committee may be represented by their designees.

(2) Members of the Committee shall serve without compensation, but the Secretary is authorized to pay any expenses reasonably incurred by the Committee in carrying out its responsibilities under this section.

(3) The Secretary shall designate 1 member of the Committee to be Chairman. The Committee shall act and advise by the affirmative vote of a majority of its members.

(4) The Secretary or his designee shall, from time to time, consult with and obtain the advice of the Committee with respect to matters relating to the design, construction, and operation of the bridge and any associated facilities.

(f) The construction and operation of the bridge shall be at no expense to the federal government, and there are hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for maintenance of the bridge and to carry out the other purposes of this section.

(Nov. 7, 1966, 80 Stat. 1417, Pub. L. 89-789, title I, § 111.)

1981 Ed., § 7-526.

1973 Ed., § 7-526.

This section originated at a time when local government powers were delegated to a Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia (see Acts Relating to the Establishment of the District of Columbia and its Various Forms of Governmental Organization in Volume 1). Section 401 of Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1967 (see Reorganization Plans in Volume 1) transferred all of the functions of the Board of Commissioners under this section to a single Commissioner. The District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act, 87 Stat. 818, § 711 ( D.C. Code, § 1-207.11), abolished the District of Columbia Council and the Office of Commissioner of the District of Columbia. These branches of government were replaced by the Council of the District of Columbia and the Office of Mayor of the District of Columbia, respectively. Accordingly, and also pursuant to § 714(a) of such Act ( D.C. Code, § 1-207.14(a)), appropriate changes in terminology were made in this section.