The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-04-01

tude were entered into by the city
council. During those two years,
aside from repairs, which is always
a constant item Of expenditure, the
only construction Of moment was the
erection of the Eighth avenue bridge
over the Shunganunga at a cost of
$2,324.95, and the Biddle creek bridge
costing $935.01.
BY far the most extensive contracts
for several years past were let dur
ing the month of February@just past.
at which time new construction
amounting to S34.066 was entered
into. This amount was expended
upon a north approach of a perma-
nent nature to the Melan bridge, a
bridge over the Shunganunga on
Kansas avenue, a bridge over the
same stream on Van Buren, street
and another on Chandler street, two
bridges over Wards creek in the west
part of the town on Park avenue and
Willow avenue.
The extension to the Melan arch
bridge at the north approach to the
Kansas avenue bridge consists of two
75-foot concrete steel spans, and is
now being constructed at a cost of
s24, 200 by the Marsh Bridge COM
pany, of Des Moines, Iowa.
The bridge over the Shunganunga
on Kansas avenue will be 102 feet long
with an 1S-foot roadway and two six
foot walks. It is of steel truss de-
sign, with steel I beams and steel
stringers on tubular piers, and its
total cost is $3,374.50.
The Van Buren, street bridge over
the same stream is practically of sim
liar construction, being a steel truss
bridge on tubular piers, and costing
S2,994.
The Chandler street bridge is a
steel truss bridge on tubular piers and
cost S2,712.
All three of these bridges are being
constructed by the Topeka Bridge and
Iron Works, the successful bidders.
and work is now under way. Most of
the concrete work has been com
pleted.
The bridges over Wards creek on
Park avenue and Willow avenue are
combination bridges on stone abut-
ments, and will cost $392.15 each. The
Topeka Bridge and Iron company Sc
cured the contracts on these bridges
also.
Unfortunately Topeka a number of
years ago put in a number of wooden
bridges on pile foundations. The
maintenance of these has been con-
start source Of expense to the city.
AS these are rebuilt they should be
of steel or concrete. The city also has
a great number of large wooden cul-
verts that are constantly needing re-
pair. These should be replaced with
concrete and would last a lifetime
without any repairs whatever.
The brick sidewalks constructed in
the fiscal year ending April 1, 1904,
amounted to 53,568.9 square feet and
cost S3,229.24. For the fiscal year
ending April 1, 1904. 136,640-5 square
feet were put down at a total cost Of
SS.44691. The grand total cost
amounts to $11.676.15. The total num-
Der of miles of permanent sidewalk
now in the city amount to $50.
The city council has made no at
tempt to repair the asphalt paved
streets of the city during the past year
beyond temporary repairs made by
the street commissioner force. There
is consequently no expenditure listed
with the Barber Asphalt company for
that time; during the fiscal year end
ing with April I, 1904. the city spent
with the Barber company S7,541.O9
for an attempt to repair.
Two New Sewers.
Two of the largest sewers in the
city were planned and contracts let
during the two fiscal years Just com
pleted with today These two sewers
are those in the Fifth and Sixth wards,
known respectively, however. as sewer
districts Nos. p and %. Sewer dis