Evening star., 1902-03-04
AQUEDUCf BRIDGE
Reports Forwarded to Con-
gress as to Reconstruction.
TRAVEL I'M PED ED
HOW 1T MAY BE AVOIDED AC-
CoRDING TO COL. ALIEN.
Change the Angle Of Present Bridge
and Make New Location on
Virginia Shore.

Virginia Shore.
| The Secretary of War today forwarded
| to the Senate committee on the District Of
| Columbia reports made by General Giles
pie chief of engineers, and Col. Allen, the
| engineer officer in charge of the improve
ment Of the Potomac river, in regard to
Senator McMillan's bill providing for the
rebuilding of the Aqueduct bridge across
the Potomac at an estimated cost of $780,
| OOO
General Gillespie invites attention to the
re port of Col. Allen and commends to the
| favorable consideration of the Senate COM
mittee the amendments to the bill suggest
| ed by that officer.
| Col Allen expresses the opinion that the
sum named in the bill C$S6O, ,OOo) will suf-
! fee for building d satisfactory structure to
| replace the present Aqueduct bridge. He
| SAYS it Is important that the piers and
| abutments of the present bridge be MAIN
| tanned. If possible. until the completion of
| the new bridge. His report, in part, is as
follows:
interruption Of Travel.
THE non-interference with travel across
| the Aqueduct bridge during the period of it's
| reconstruction, the Importance of which was
| noted in previous report, is probably
| question Of more vital Importance today
| than it was a year ago, or ever before
| The work of reconstruction Of the railroad
bridge to replace part Of Long bridge is
| already begun, under authority of an act
of Congress; but construction of the pro-
| posed Highway bridge, to be separate
| structure from the railroad bridge, all to
take the place of the existing roadway fIr
| vehicles and pedestrians, which forms part
| also of Long bridge, has not begun. The
| board Of officers CT the Corps Of Engineers
| constituted by previous orders to se-ect
site and formulate plans for the proposed
| Highway bridge, submitted it's report, with
! plans and specifications, October 20, ,',et
Removal Of Long bridge will undoubtedly be
| considered desirable upon the completion Of
! the new railroad bridge, and removal of
Long bridge means removal of the roadway
for vehicles. etc.-foetning part of it. Such
removal might be sxpseied to temporary
from the Long bridge roVte to that by way
of the Aqueduct bridge, II the latter could
receive it. In case it could not receive it the
ia, to this locality. Travel between Wash
| ington and Arlington, Fort Myer and other
places on the Virginia side of the Potomac
would be most injuriously affected
How It Can Be Averted.
| "Construction simultaneously Of the pro-
posed highway bridge, to take the place of
the highway now forming part Of Long
| bridge, with the proposed reconstruction of
| the Aqueduct bridge, would probably not,
as the case stands, relieve the prospective
| situation. The course that commends itself,
| in order to reduce much as possible dur
| ing the work for the reconstruction Of
| the Aqueduct bridge. restriction Of in
| reference with, highway travel of all
! kinds, is to swing the line Of the new work
| through angle of about four to five de-
| grees with the line Of the present bridge,
! depending upon the best practicable loca-
| ton Of the piers. as to bring the Virginia
| end of the new structure about 100 feet up
| stream from the point where the present
| bridge strikes that shore; the Georgetown
| end of the new bridge to occupy practically,
| the position of the end of the present struc-
| ture at that point. The point on the Vir-
| ginia side where it is proposed to rest the
| bridge (the new structure) Is on land be-
| longing to the United States. This slight
| change In line Of crossing would enable ar
rangements to be made for practically con-
tinuOuS travel across the present bridge
| until the completion of the new One-pro-
! vided, of course, that the present old piers
| remain serviceab BILE until that time-when
| the complete removal of the present bridge
| (pier No. included) can be effected. For
the new work small increase in ''right-of-
| way in the Georgetown side Of the Po-
tomac will, most probably, be necessary,
| whether or not the line of the new struc-
| ture be swung as recommended With
view to arriving at an approximate esti-
mate Of the cost of additional right of way,
! L L
this bill, examinations of the records Of this
| office, as we'll as of other records bearing
| upon the requirement by the United States,
| by purchase and by condemnation proceed
| lngS In 1SS1-S9, Of right OF way for
struction of the present superstructure Of
| the Aqueduct bridge and of it's Georgetown
| approaches. While it is not easy to pre-
dict the cost of acquiring sufficient addi-
| tlonal right of way it appears to me that
such cost ought to be less than 5000.
Proposed Appropriation Sufficient.
"The sum named in the bill $500 900 will,
1t Is believed, suffice for building satisfac-
tory structure to replace the present Aque-
duct bridge, the cost of additional right Of
way. eventual removal Of the present
structure and contingencies of engineering
and inspection included. AS to the piers
| and abutments Of the present bridge, it is
Of Importance in view Of what is stated
In this report that they be maintained, If
| possible, until the completion Of the pro-
posed new bridge"
Colonel Allen suggests that the bill be
| amended to meet the conditions suggested
by him. which do not. however, involve
any Increase In the total appropriation. The
| bill provides that one-half OF the cost OF
the bridge shall be paid out OF the reve-
nues Of the District of Columbia.
| The unsatisfactory condition Of the piers
and abutments Of the Aqueduct bridge and
the necessity for its early replacement by
an adequate and substantial structure were
stated In detail in a report made by Col.
| Allen, February %, 1901, copy of which
was transmitted to the Senate committee
on the District. AA examination made by
direction of Col Alien a few weeks ago
shows that the deterioration of the old ma
sonry OF the piers Of the bridge is pro-
crossing. t!fps7
->2>S--
Inauguration Day.
|