The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-04
HIGHWAY CROSSINGS AND
APPROACHES.
SOUTHERN RAILROADS.

feet above its present level, and car
ried over the tracks by a steel bridge,
with the advantages that accompany
an open structure surrounded by light
and air, The raising of the grade of
the street, however, is a disadvantage,
as this street has already been raised
over the existing tracks. By the ele-
waited plan, 1t would he lowered 33S
feet, thereby improving the grade, but
the bridge, to carry the tracks over
the street. would necessarily be 100 feet
or more in width, and, whether built
of stone or steel, would produce some
thing of tunnel effect, and therefore
be less pleasant to pedestrians than an
overhead crossing.
Franklin street: By depressing
the tracks, this street would have to
/ be raised about 19 feet, involving a
large expenditure for land damages,
both in this street and in Vine and
Foundry streets, adjoining. BY ele-
waiting the tracks, the street would be
undisturbed, and might be raised
slightly to improve its grade. The ad-
Vantages 1T this point. therefore lie
with the elevated plan.
Green street BY depressing the
tracks, this street, which is one of the
most important in Worcester. would be
them at its present Level; by elevating
them. the street would be lowered
about two feet, without iniuring the
grade. At this crossing, the depressed
plan, therefore, has the advantage.
Washington street: By depress-
ing the tracks, this street would be I'M
/ disturbed; by elevating them, it would
be lowered 1.21 feet. Here, the
depressed plan has again the advan-
tage.
Plymouth street.-By depressing the
tracks, this street would be undisturbed
and by elevating them, it would be low
cred 1922 feet. Plymouth street re-
sembles Washington street somewhat
in its profile and the filling of the
/ street would not affect the grade inju-
! riously. Again, the depressed plan has
the advantage.
Westerly from Plymouth street there
is now no crossing of the tracks until
Southbridge street is reached, but it
is contemplated to extend Madison
street across the railroads, and if this
is done, the elevated plan would be the
more favorable one. On account of
the grades, it is impracticable to cross
the depressed tracks, and connect with
Gold street, without materially chang
/ ing its location. The advantage at
this point, therefore, is on the side of
the elevated plan.
Southbridge street.-By depressing
the tracks, this street would have to
be raised about 20 feet, a change re-
sulting in heavy land damages to
fneighboring property for some distance.
By the elevated plan, the street, which
now passes under the tracks, would be
undisturbed-an advantage for the
latter plan.
Hammond street.-By depressing the
tracks this street would be raised
i about "a feet, and by elevating them,
the present level would be undisturbed
an advantage for the latter plan
Gardner street.-If the tracks are
depressed, this street would have to be
raised four feet, and il elevated il
would have to be lowered to the same
X extent. As the profile of the street
favors its depression, the advantage
lies with the elevation Of the tracks.
/ Grand stTeet.-This street would be
lowered or raised by either plan, and
4 10 the same extent There is a slight
, advantage, however, in the track eIe-
i walton, on account of the grade of the
street.
4 On the Norwich and Worcester divi-
slons south of the main tracks of the
Boston and Albany Railroad, the de-
pressed plan requires Hammond street
TO be raised % feet; whereas the ele-
/. waited plan allows it to remain without
disturbing its grade-an advantage for
the latter plan.
1t has been suggested to improve the
conditions arising from a track depres-
sion by adopting a new location for
4 Hammond street, southerly Of the pres
ent one and between Southbridge and
I Canterbury streets. The result would
still be in favor of the elevated plan.
Southgate street would be lowered
according to either plan Cambridge
street would be raised 10 feet by the de-
!; pressed plan, and the tracks lowered
to the same extent. BY the elevated
plan, this crossing may be treated in
the same way, so that on this street
/. there is no difference in the two mans
jackson street would be lowered by
either plan, with an advantage on the
side Of the plan for depression. be-
cause the present grades are less dis
turbed
NORTHERN RAILROADS.
Starting from Union station and pro,
ceeding in a northerly direction the
first highway crossing occurs al
Shrewsbury street. BY depressing the
tracks this street would be raised 5.2F
feet, necessitating the raising of sum-
mer street at its junction with Shrews-
bury street. AS Grafton street would
|require raising, it would probably be
advisable to raise also the whole of
Washington square.
By elevating the tracks, Shrewsbury
street would be lowered 2.75 feet The
grade on its western approach would
be nearly level as far as its intersec-
ton with Summer street On the east
ern side. it would ascend from the
railroad crossing to Mulberry street at
the rate of three per cent. To avoid
disturbing the present sidewalk, il
could be retained by low wall at the
curb line. The greater advantages in
this vicinity, therefore could be Sc
cured by the elevated plan.
Summer street.-By the depressed
plan, this street would be raised So
feet; by the elevated plan, it would be
lowered 3.14 feet; the latter plan is the
more advantageous one.
Bridge street.-A depression of the
tracks would require this street to be
raised about 20 feet causing very rad
zeal changes in the adjoining property
and streets. An elevation Of the tracks
Woulc not only leave the street undis-
tIrbed, but additional head room would
De obtained. The advantage lies, there
fore. with the elevated plan.
/ Exchange street would be raised Is;
feet by depressing the tracks. on ac.
count of the sidings, this plan would
allow clear head-room of 10 feet
which would be sufficient only for the
passage of pedestrians and low teams
The approaches would be nearly level
The land damages and permanent in.
jury to the street would be less by tbs
elevated than by the depressed plan
The street is comparatively unimport-
ant. Union street would have to bg
Iaised about feet to conform to tbs
raising Of Exchange street. if the
tracks are depressed: while it remain.
as IL is If they are elevated The ele.
walton Of the tracks in this vicinity
therefore, possessed the advantage.
! Central street.-By the depressed