Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-10
TIDAL BASIN BRIDGE
Contractors Have Feady Be-.
gun Preliminary Work.
WILL HAVE NO DRAW
TO BE CONSTRUCTED OF CONCRETE
AND STEEL BEAMS.
Will Be a Handsome Structure and
Will Connect Speedway and
Potomac Park.

Within tie past year or two there have
been built about Washington two bridges
of steel with granite piers and swing draws.
A bridge of steel resting on concrete piers
and with lifting draw is in process OF
construction across the Eastern branch, but
the little bridge that IS to be constructed
acI oss the outlet OF the tidal basin at the
foot of 18th street will be the most unique
OF all Washingtons new br dyes, for it is
to be constructed entirely of concrete and
will have no draw. Not only will the piers
be of concrete, but the arches that will sup
port the bridge, the roadways and even
the ornamental rail ng that viii guard the
water sides of the new structure will be
of concrete. Those interested in bridge
ology will with n the next year find Wash
ington a fruitful field of study for here
many types of such structures win be
found
The new structure viii form a 30 ton of
the approach 10 the highway bridge
and win span the outlet CT the tidal basin
at point between the little stone bridge
over the tidal gates and the railway spans
over the outlet from the tidal basin into
the harbor. The Penn Bridge Company
which has the contract for the building OF
the bridge, Is now preparing for the work.
and tomorrow it is expected the leveiing
work preparatory to the excavating for the
abutment on the north end will be started
The company for the past two weeks has
had force of men at work erecting the nee
essary buildings that will be used for Of
fees and storage purposes during the con-
tirEance of the work, and employed in put
ting in shape for service the pile drivers and
other machinery that will be used in the
preliminary work on the approach bridge
spans.
Method of Construction.
The new structure win be 162 feet in
length between abutments and 202 feet
over ALL 1t will be sixty-four feet wide
and will consist Of three elliptical shaped
spans of fifty feet EACH about fourteen feet
above mean low water at the highest point
OF the arch. The bridge, like the one in
process of erection over the Eastern branch
will be of the deck type-that is, the floor
of the bridge will be supported on arches
below and there viii be no overhead struc-
ture as exists on the new railway and
Highway spans over the river
In the construction of the bridge the
methods of building the piers will be much
the same as was used in the other bridges
built in this vicinity. First a frame work
of pling outlining the shape of each pier
will be built. About these piles a Golfer
dam Will be constructed, and then 1t will be
dredged to the required depth, until hard
bottom Is reached. Then piles viii be
driven In the bottom of the Golfer dam.
and in this bridge 16S piles will be used
In each pier. and 232 In each abutment
When the piles are in position they will be
cut off foot or two below low water mark
and the spaces in between them will be
hlied in with concrete until 1t comes above
the tide level. then nodded concrete will
be used to form the piers to the height
desired.
understood that steel beams will be used TO
give the necessary strength to the struc-
ture and the keystone of each arch will be
OF stone In building the ornamental rail-