Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-15
TO ELEVATE TRACKS
Commissioners New Plan to Relieve
South Washington.
REPORT ON THE M'MILiAN BILL
A Viaduct System Suggested for
the Pennsylvania Line.
THE ES TIMATED COST

The report of the Commissioners upon
the McMillGh bill to abolish grade cross
irgs along the line Of the Baltimore and
Potomac railroad within the District of
Columbia was finally decided upon by the
Commissioners today.
Two reports will be made, one contem-
Plating a depressed system and another
for viaduct plan. Although the officials
CT the railroad have already signified their
disapprovaI of anything but a depressed
system. ard while the Commissioners be-
Heve that the best chance for the success
of a bill improving the conditions along
that route lies in a depressed system, new
ertbeless they feel constrained to report
an elevated system also.
The Star has already published the ma
t6rial points of the depressed system and
stated the streets that would be closed
by reason of the operation of that system
OF course. the most important item in this
matter of changing the tracks of the road
is that of the cost. The District as we'll
as the railroad company has been careful
about this matter, and the estimates as
computed by the engineer department of
the District for the District share of the
expense were only made after the most
careful consideration. 1t shows the COM
par&tive cost to the District of Columbia
of the changes in the street grades, ex-
elusive of damages TO property due 10 the
reconstruction of the railroad on new
grades.
Fer the depressed plan on the grades pro-
posed by the railroad and contemplated
in Senate bill HOP, the Commissioners es-
Innate that the District share of the ex-
peTse will be $449,014 81. This represents
the cost OF the improvement as the rail-
road company would like to see it made
There are. however. d few minor charges
which the Commissioners insist upon, and
in another estimate. which includes bridges
at Sd street southwest and I'd street south
east the Districts estimate is placed at
$4-'4. .!iJ.O6-
The cheapest method and. it is strongly
argued by some officials the best one for
the District, is that of tie elevated viaduct
buiIt on the present line of the road and
estiI.ated to cost the District sII7,113.sO
The report of the Commissioners yiaduct
Plan is quite elaborate and contemplates
great many changes in the road. Fore
most IN Importance is the removal OF the
bth street depot to squares 40 and "A
which are bounded by 1th. 9th, d and the
street south of reservation 113 1t was
thought necessary to move the depot in
TINS plan for the reason that an elevated
viaduct running through the mall no mat
ter how attractive architecturally, was
viewed as an syeSOre and oDjectiona BILE
-edtuTe. So 1t was concluded to propose
10 90 away entirely with the depot and
depot branch, and move 1T, as stated above
The elevated structure is proposed to he
built of masonry seventeen feet high with
an actual clearance for pedestrians and
- S'es Of fourteen feet. At each street
il section there is to he break in the
construction. the railroad to pass over on
iron bridges. The viadUct is to be of
sufficient width to carry four tracks and
Is to run all the way from the Benning
railroad Bridge to the Long bridge