The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-16
.B|G CONTRACT LET
 BY ]. & [. ROUTE Bridges Between Helenwood and Oakdale to be Repaired ABOUT S25O,OOO INVOLVED Eight Structures Are to Be Rebuilt. Other Improvements Being Hade
 North of Chattanooga
 By Railroad.
ABOUT S25O,OOO INVOLVED

contract was awarded yesterday by the Queen and Crescent route for the rebuilding of eight bridges between Helen wood and Oakdale, Tenn. The American Bridge company secured the contract and the work will be started within the next thirty days. The amount involved is s25O, 900.
 This work is on the same division of the Queen and Crescent route as the contract recently awarded w. J. Oliver & Co. for double tracking. It is stated that the entire mountain division of the road will be rebuilt within the next two or three years. From Oakdale Tenn, to Somerset, Ky, the road runs through the mountains and the officials of the com pany propose to double track this, re- build the bridges, enlarge the tunnels, straighten out the curves and make many other important Improvements.
 On a recent visit to this section Presi dent Samuel Spencer made a tour of in spection over the Queen and Crescent route, which road is leased by the South ern system. While making the trip 1t is said that General Manager Garrett pointed out the improvements which were needed on the line President Spencer asked the Queen and Crescent officials why they were not made. MT. Garrett re- piled that the company did not have the money to put in the reconstruction of the road just at that time. MT. Spencer then told him to go along with the work of improving and the money would be forthcoming.
 Big Contract Awarded.
 Soon after that conversation MT. Gar rett awarded W. J. Oliver 6 Co.,. the Knoxville contractors, a contract to dou- ble track eleven miles of the road in the vicinity of Helenwood. This contract was followed with another of the same nature for twenty additional miles and the Knoxville contractor now has thirty miles Covered" between Somerset and Oakdale. It Is said that thirty miles more will be double tracked during the spring and summer and that the entire ninety miles of the mountain section will all be double tracked by this time next year. In addition to double tracking the line, all the tunnels will be enlarged and some of them will probably be improved to such an extent that it will be possible to run the double track through them. In addition many of the worst curves will be eliminated and grade reductions will be made on some of the heavier hills" The contract awarded yesterday to the American Bridge company is one of the largest of that character which has been awarded by a southern railroad in re- cent years. All the bridges are not the same size and 1t Is expected that the work will be carried on in such manner as to complete the entire contract about the same time. The aggregate amount involved is quarter of a million dollars, making the average price of each bridge about $30 900.
 Chattanooga vaduct.
 The Metallic avenue viaduct in Chatta- l nooga cost but little over that sum and l 1t is regarded as one of the finest struc- lures of the kind in this section of the south. large amount of the money | spent on that structure was used In con-
 structing the approaches from either side. | In rebuilding a railroad bridge this ex- | pense would be eliminated.
 | The contract recently awarded the Oli- | yer company Is said to have involved a | sum in the neighborhood of $200,0O0 and
 that is only one-third of the double l tracking to be done in that immediate | section A local railroad man who is
 in close touch with the high officials of | the Queen and Crescent route, but who
 does not care to be quoted, stated that the Queen and Crescent would spend in l the neighborhood of two million dollars | on the mountain section of the route with
 in the next eighteen months.
 Tn speaking of the rebuilding of the bridges of the Queen and Crescent route 1 and the contract for the double track | work on that line in the mountain dis | tricts Chief Engineer J. B. Nicholson i stated recently that the reconstructed
 bridges would be capable of sustaining
 heavy loads and the largest locomotives
 now in use. He said further that the in- | creasing business of the system demand ed that the line be put in the best possi- ble condition for the rapid and safe trans
 portation of freight and passengers.