Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-24
Regarding AND RESURFACING
REPAIRS TO PENNSYLVANIA
AVENUE TO BEGIN MONDAY
Street Car Tracks to Conform to New
Grade-Work to Be
Expedited.

The highway department of the District
will commence next Monday morning their
work % regarding, resurfacing and other
wise improving Pennsylva avenue from
9th street to the treasury. They will first
devote their attention to laying a new curb
on both sides of the street, and after that
they will start on the surface work At
the same time the traction company viii
be changing its tracks in order that they
may conform with the new grade
The District engineers expect to break all
records in executing this work, not only
in skill and rapidity, but in the lack of in
convenience that will be caused the mer-
chants along the avenue. 1t was frst
thought that this Improvement would not
be completed before the latter part of De-
rpnber but the officials who will have
charge of the work stated today that every
thing will have been finished by the mlodle
of October. at the rate they propose 10
carry on the work. More than LOO men
will be employed all the time, and every
possible means will be taken advantage OF
to hurry the work and reduce the neon
venience to traffic eind pedestrians, as well
as the merchants.
Change in Plan.
A change has been made in the plan of
the work. 1t was first decided to work one
or two squares at a time. and in that way
cause less inconvenience, in that only a
very small portion of the thoroughfare
would be torn up and out of service at one
time. but the engineers have decided that
the work could not be carried on as well or
as rapidly in this manner, and, according
to Capt. Morrow, assistant engineer com
missioner in charge of the highways de-
partment of the District, when his men be-
gin work on Monday they will start on the
north side of the avenue at 9th street and
street. They will then turn back and work
the south side from 9th street to 1lth
street. In this way all of that part of the
avenue between 9th and 18th streets will
be entirely completed before the workmen
start on that part between nth and 10th
streets.
The reason for making 18th street the
dividing line for the WORK is because the
permanent grade which the engineers
To make already exists between 1lth and
12th streets. As has been previously eX-
planned in The Star, the street will have to
be raised on an average of from four to
nine inches between 9th and 18th streets.
From 18th to 18th street the surface will
be raised almost foot.
Two new public reservations will be
created on Pennsylvania avenue by this
Improvement work. On the north side of
the avenue. a short distance to the east of
9th street. where Market space and 9Th
street run together. a small reservation
in the form of triangle will be con-
structed. Heretofore, this space has been
open and has always been looked upon
dangerous for pedestrians The other
reservation will be established on the north
side of the avenue where 10th and ID
streets run together The triangle. which
Will be constructed on this space. will be
built around the statue of Benjamin Frank
lin, which stands out on the street now.
Conduits Lowered.
For more than a week the Potomac Elec-
tfic Power ompany has been at work on
the north side of the avenue, from 9Th
street to 18th street, lowering its conduits
to conform with the proposed new grade
A number of complaints have been made
by merchants along the line of work to
the EJECT that no precaution has been taken
ythe workmen TO keep the asphalt and
dirt, as il 10 dug from the street, from fall
ing upon the sidewalk.
one merchant stated today that when
the workmen have completed for the day
the pavement in front of his store is COW
cred with pieces of asphalt and dirt, and
that no attempt is made by the workmen
to remove this debris.
1t requires me and my neighbors to have
our porters sweep the pavements" this
merchant said. Although this is a trivial
matter. ii seems to me that the contractors
should be made 10 do the cleaning as
they can afford it just as well as We can"
This same merchant suggested the using
OF canvas screens erected along the curb
where the digging is going on for the pur-
pose Of preventing the pieces of asphalt
and dirt from flying upon the sidewalks He
SAID these screens should be used for pro-
lection 20 pedestrians and windows if for
nothing else. Regarding the use of screens
ia the work along the avenue, j W Dare |
of the engineer department who is i'm
charge of this work. said that screens are
only used in very cold weather when the |
asphalt is hard and brittle and is consd-
cred dangerous as it flies through the air.
Fear Damage to Business
At any rate. the merchants along the
avenue are apprehensive that the work will
he 10 the detriment of their business for the
time being. However they are anxious for
the improvement of the thOroughfare, and
are prepared to submit TO the necessary
Inconvenience. All they ask is that the
contractors use as much consideration as
possible in the work.
prominent business man. in front of
whose store digging is going on, said to-
day; mo wcll-wisher of Washington (to
say the least one having business interests
ON Pennsylvania avenue) desires TO do any
thing that will interfere with the long-felt
needed improvements now to be made TO
Washing tons beSt-known thoroushfare.
Owing the jamestown exposition
everything indicates that Washington is
going TO have an unusually busy summer.
This avenue because of it's location, his
toricaI associations, points of interest, no.
tells. etc, is the mecca for visitors and
strangers. Everything should be done to
push along the improvement work as
speedily as possible, and with as little
hindrance to the public possible. and
with ample provision to minimize dirt and
dust.
Persons from all over the United States.
and, in fact. from all over the world, will
he given ample opportunity to observe
Washingtons method OF street repair work,
and we trust they will go away with a
favorable impression. 1t is well to
member in passing that an ounce of pre-
VentiOn is worth a pound of cure "