The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-06-02
MAKE ROAD SOLID.
Extensive improvements on o. r. &
NJ Line.

Portland.-The Oregon Railroad
Navigation company has let contracts
for the construction of concrete
masonry abutments and piers for II
of the bridges on the western portion
of the line. which are to be construct
ed as rapidly as the work can be
done II addition, contracts We're
awarded yesterday for filling in 80
trestles with earth, making a solid
roadbed in the place of bridges.
The concrete work was given to
TWO firms. the bidders dividing it al
most evenly. Decks & Decks Of ST
Paul, will do the work on the bridges
between Walla WalIa and Spokane,
and Smyth & Howard, OF Portland
have the contract for the bridges be-
tween Umatilla and Huntington
The Pacific Coast Construction
company, Of Portland. was awarded
the contract for filing in those
trestIes which are to be eliminated.
1t is estimated that the concrete
work will not be completed before
December /. though the railroad COM
pany is encouraging the contractors
to complete the task earlier, if posi-
ments and piers have been completed
it is planned to replace the present
wooden bridges with steel spans.
The steel for this work was ordered
Of the American Bridge company a
few months ago. and portion OF il
has already reached the coast. 1t IS
expected the entire order Will have
been filled By the time the contractor.
have prepared for completing the new
bridges.
There are 10 new steel bridges 10
be constructed on the line between
Walla WaIla and Spokane and Umatil
la and Huntington. and in addition two
arch culverts are to be built. This
work will require about 5000 cubic
yards of concrete. and will have cost
the railroad. when completed, about
$4,000. The completion Of the new
steel bridges will add much larger
sum to the cost OF these betterments.
There has been no close estimate
made of the amount Of earth that will
be required 10 fiji in the treStles
which the railroad company expects
to dispense with. but the total cost
will run in the neighbOrhOOd Of $50,
000. In many instances K Will be
easy for the contractors to fill in the
trestles. but there are some bridges
that cannot be done away with I'M
til a new channel is made for the
streams which are crossed. The
dirt taken from these new channels
can easily be used in filling in the
trestles. so this work is net alto
gether lost.
None OF the bridges picked out to
be replaced by steel spans or to be
filed in are very large. though all
Of them are located on important sec
lions of the c0mpanE's line and are
used extensively.
This work is a part Of the general
plan for permanent Improvements
on the line Of the O. r. & \.
Wherever possible the company is re-
placing its old wooden bridges with
new steel spans. and it IS the inten
ton Of the company to continue this
work as rapidly as possible.
While the majority of bridges along
the line Of the O. R. x n are prob
ably Of the character that can be Re
placed by steel spans. there are
many that will probably always re-
main wooden bridges. The character
Of the stream or gulch spanned is
such that it is not advisable to put
in anything other than wooden struC-
lures.