Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-15
RAILROAD VIADUOT
REPORT OF PROGRESS MADE TO
CITIZENS ASSOCIATION.

ington Citizens Association held several
evening ago, Mr.. W. J. Frizzell, chairman
OF the committee on railroads. submitted
a report in regard to the construction OF
the viaduct of the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Company which is being built In
the northeast section of the city.
The report in part Is as follows:
1.-THE construction of the B. and o. via
duct is progressing satisfactorily, the cut
ting and filling being very nearly completed;
rails and ties are distributed along the new
route: the bridges over K. L and NJ streets
and Florida avenue are practically finished,
and the structural supports for the H street
bridge are nearly ready for the beam and
tracks.
1.-The roadways Of I'd street and Delaware
avenue from K street to NJ street and OF
K, L and M streets and Florida avenue are
all paved with sheet asphalt as far east
as I'd, 4th and 9TH streets, respectively, thus
giving US those much-desired improvements
which in the ordinary course of the treat
ment of streets in Northeast Washington
would not have occurred in many years.
ut is to be noted also that the cost OF
all the grading and paving within the lines
of the terminal limits, estimated at about
$35, 600, is paid for by the Terminal Com
pany.
Besides the cost of such paving and
grading the company bears the expense of
changing and lowering all the sewers and
the water and gas mains and their connec-
tons, and for all other subsurface work, in
GLIDING the necessary treatment OF the
great boundary sewer, for which it has so
far deposited with the District government
about 100000. These expenditures are linn
tied to work south of Florida avenue, and
do not include about 100000 for street
work north of Florida avenue, including the
New York avenue bridge. The Terminal
Company also bears all the expense of re-
constructing the street railway on H street.
In September, 1904 the District Com
missioners announced through the news
papers the intention of closing H street and
Massachusetts avenue to general travel, but
at the urgent request of your committee the
Commissioners accorded a hearing to this
association, at which the inconvenience and
disastrous results of such actions were
fully discussed. The facts presented at the
hearing had the desired effect, and the pro-
posed closing of H street was postponed
until the spring of the present year. Ac-
cordingly, in the month Of June last H
street was closed for only thirty days to all
travel except pedestrians and street cars.
At the hearing mentioned the Commission
ers also promised us that whenever 1t be-
came necessary to do any work on any OF
the streets, such street would be well light
ed, foot walks would be laid and police
officers would be stationed on the work to
prevent undue interference by the work.
men engaged thereon.
up to this date Massachusetts avenue has
not been wholly closed, although the grade
has been changed from the level near list
street west to a height of about thirty-fve
feet at 1st street east. temporary bridge
is about completed over the railroad on
Massachusetts avenue, and we are justified
In the belief that the avenue will not be
closed at any time.
1.-The site of the proposed plaza, embrac-
ing an area of about ten acres, Is being rap
idly graded and some of the streets and
avenues leading thereto are being macada-
mZed.
I'm considering the plan of the plaza the
Commissioners at first concluded to close
F street west of I'd street east. This plan
was afterward changed by the Commits
sioners so as to keep street open at it's
present grade, necessitating a stairway
about twenty feet in height to reach the
level of the plaza.
Your committee therefore, in conjunc-
ton with the committee on streets and the
officers of the association, had several hear
ings with the Commissioners which resulted
in the plans being so modified as to provide
for grading F street up to the level of the
plaza, on its present lines, to new street
along the east side of the station to the
plaza.
Incidental to grading the plaza the rail-
road contractors are contributing enough
and labor to reduce the cost
thereof by about $4,000 When we
consider the magnitude of the entire work
under the direction of one mana cement, eX-
tending, as 1t does, from the border of the
state of Virginia, thence crossing the Po-
tomac by massive steel bridge, thence along
Maryland and Virginia avenue to the tun-
mel under Capitol Hill, thence along Della
ware avenue and the north line of New
York avenue to and across and beyond
Anacostia into the state of Maryland ap-
proximating a length of ten miles, with all
the cutting and filing of subsurface OBJ
with a minimum of inconven-
fence to our citizens, we feel that too much
commentator cannot be accorded the en-
cheering and mechanical skill with which
the work has been and is being conducted.
THE Districts interests are guarded by
competent and Vigilant engineers and in
spectors, and nothing has been done or can
be done without the appreciation of the
District Commissioners"