Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-02
TEE DISTRICT sRrDoEs.
A.nesi Report ~ tire Engineer On Charse-
Recommendations MsA@.

Recvmmendstsens MsAe.
The annual report Of Engineer C. n. Hunt.
In charge Of bridges. has been submitted 10 the
Commissioners. The report Govern q number
Of page of foolscsp and gives in detail the his
tory Of al Of the bridges IN the District 81 Co
lumbiA- Referring 70 the speed Of travel over
bridges, be ssys;
The existing Law restricts vehicle travel 10 Q
walk on all bridges in the District take this
occasion 30 emphasize the fact that structurally
speaking there is no proper reason for the en-
forcement Of this restriction on the grcst
majority Of structures under my charge. The
statute h obsolete; f.s restrictions are vexa-
tions and it repeal has been and % here
again recommended. II would be o pubic
Convenience which there IL no fair res~on 20
withhold 10 permit the District Commissioners
70 establish Q reasonable maximum rate Of
travel In their discretion. Then would result,
however, the necessity for q greater degree Of
care In inspcction Of the structure. by reason
OF the more severe life they would experience;
duty which proper organization could easily
accomplish at comparatively slight cost"
INCREASE or BRIDGE WORK
Attention 10 called 10 the fact that since Sem
TENDER, 1855. when the Aqueiuot bridge was
transferred 20 the care Of the Commissioner
Eve large bridges-Aqueduct, Penn<vlv.ui.
avenue. Woodley lane and Connecticut avenue
over Rock creek and over Elingle ROADS well
as number of smaller ones, have been
acquired in various ways. increasing the linesl
aggregate Of bridge structures 40 rer cen,
The structures lately acquired are now iu.t
arriving st the state when their perishable por-
lions require renewal and the conditions pre-
senied are such as have not heretofore existed
IN the same degree. This circumstance, he
says. forms a bssis for the estimate made for
construction and repair OF bridge.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Under this head he saws il Is 70 rtunate tina,
the Aqueduct bridge IL capable of sustaining a
frst-ciass asphalt ioor supported by steel joist.
and buckle plates. n such improvement he
limited 10 the rosdway portion OF the structure
the estimated cost would be s4S OOa and
II extended TO the sidewalks e6S oOa The
resulting structure would have hive Load ca
pacity OF eighty-fiye pounds per square foot.
As the floor Of this bridge is at present in need
OF renewal he recommends that an nppro-
priation be asked for the purpose describe
Referring TO the repairs on the bridges
| provided for in the lasi appropriation bin
over Rock creek he says that unless Rock
creek Is 20 be converted into covered water
way the bridges should he 20 reconstructed
that they shall be second 20 none in the Die
trict and that a new structure should be built
Mt street. With reference 10 the Anacostia
bridge he SAYS il has been recommended
for improvement for several wears. IL
h low. narrow structure of
light capacity, deficient i'm strength both ss TO
substructure and superstructure Its draw is
IN wretched condition and great obstacle 20
the large travel over the bridge. The structure
is notoriously unequal TO the needs OF traffic
This Is his plan for reconstruction: "The span
of the new bridge should be reduced TO
800 feet. the channel width contemplated by
the board on barbor lines OF Anncostin river
by extending the embankment approach At the
south end Of the bridge. The grade should be
raised so as TO provide a clean head room of
twenty feet above low tide. The type of
structure should he q plate girder construc-
tion carrying paved floor system not less than
nifty feet in width. Such a construction
would permit the passage Of such water travel
as has occasion to go above il, while q draw,
| should such detail hereafter be needed can
be interpolated hereafter at any desired point
without an extravagent outlay for mantle
nance snch as its present construction would
! involve"
The estimated cost 81 this work. including
changes 10 the approaches is t25o. GOO, and he
recommends such an appropriation. The bridge
structures throughout the District are generally
not of the high quality which characterize
other portions Of public works. the result
OF an economy that has existed in the past and
| the accumulated DEFICIENCIES Of which must be
met by present comparatively large expeudi-
lures. For the regular appropria lions the fol-
lowing sums are recommended: Ordinary care
of bridges, e5,0O0; construction and repair
Of bridges, 900.