Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-01
RAILWAY TERMINALS
Extensive Operations in the
Southwest Section.
GRADE CROSSINGS NO MORE
Tracks Both Below and Above the
Street Levels.
BRIDGES AT THE CROSSINGS
Provision for Passenger Station for
Use of Suburban Travel Near
Old Long Bridge.
BRIDGES AT THE CROSSINGS

The changes made by the railway i'm
provements in the southwestern section
of the city in the past two or three years
are so numerous that the portion OF the
city along Maryland avenue. from 14th 10
9TH streets has been made practically
new, and would hardly be recognized by
a former resident returning to take look
around. Entire rows OF houses have been
eliminated in the vicinity OF 18th and 18TH
streets and Maryland avenue TO make
room for the improvements. Many thou
sand tons of earth have been dug out
of the surface OF Southwest Washington
at one place to be piled high in another In
carrying out the scheme of the railway
engineers to do away with grade cross
ings.
Streets are carried over railway tracks
in one section. and in another tine railway
tracks are carried over the streets TO
dive into a tunnel under the city ending
at the new Union station. The bulk or
the work is now completed. but the finish
ing will probably require year or longer.
The total cost can be reckoned well up
in the millions.
No More Grade Crossings.
Trains to and from the south now
move along Maryland avenue. either above
or below the grade OF the streets. the
only point where they come to the street
level being at about Sth street. where the
overhead tracks run down into the cut
that carries them under the other street
grades to the point where they will cross
18th street on an overhead bridge on the
way to the big steel bridge across the
Potomac.
The beginning of the changes in the
southwest really dates from the building
of the new steel bridge. about five years
ago. This was followed by the construc-
ton Of the high embankment across the
Potomac fats for the railway tracks. and
the construction of the bridges across the
point where 14th street will be connected
with Water street in the future.
sunken Freight Yards.
Then the building Of the sunken rail-
way freight yards between D street and
Maryland avenue, from 18th to 18th
streets was commenced. and the digging
of the deep cut along Maryland avenue
and the construction of the embankment
for the overhead tracks was started. At
the present time the cut Is practically
completed, only a portion OF the heavy
concrete retaining walls on I.,,t the S sou1n
10th, 18th and 10Th streets cross the
railway cut on bridges. The only ono
now open to travel Is at nth street.
though the 18th street bridge Is so far
complete that foot passengers use it daily.
The bridge at 9th street is built. but is
not in service. and the 10th street
bridge will not be ready for use for sew
eral weeks. There are no means OF cross
ing the railway yards at 18th. or what
was 1917 street southwest, and at 18th
street, as stated, the tracks are on
bridge, and it is planned to extend 14th
street under the bridge and through an
old coal yard to connect with Water
street and the river front wharves.
At 9Th street there will be no crossing.
and eth, 9Th. AZ and on to the tunnel
the streets running north and south pass
under the railway tracks. The grade or
eth street was lowered about eight feet
at the point where the tracks cross H. IN
order to pass under the new track bridge.
and for a square between d street and
Maryland avenue houses and stores have
been left perched several feet above the
street grade. Between 9th and nth
streets on Maryland avenue the grade has
been raised and buildings there thrown
below the grade from a foot to six feet
on both sides of the thoroughfare.
Lowering Grades.
The grade of the freight yard of ths
Pennsylvania railroad at 9th street and
Maryland avenue has been lowered to the
grade of the railway tracks in the cut.
this digging having been completed only
about a week or ten days ago. and IL Is
stated that it is the last digging to be
done In the construction of the massive
concrete retaining walls on each side OF
the railway cut and about the freight
Yards and in the construction OF the
street bridges over the cut many thou
sand tons of concrete have been used.
The wall on the north side of the cut
was completed several months ago. and
that along the south side Is now in course
of construction and is yet to be built
about the freight yard at 9th street and
also from 18th to 18th streets. This wall
is about fifteen feet thick at the base
and rises in decreasing widths about every
two feet, until. at the top. Ii is about two
feet thick. This concrete work Is sur
mounted by a stone coping about four
feet high. making neat and attractive
finish. In building the wall the con-
crete was mixed by large steam mixers
into which was placed several big bucket
loads of cement. sand. gravel and other
material.
Steam derricks We're used in the
handling of the material and dinky en-
buckets loaded with the material to the
poin. where the wall was being built. SO
thai the work progressed with much
Ii is estimated that II the con-
it will be completed in .
month or six weeks.
New Bridges.
The bridges that VIII carry the streets
over the railway cut are ornamental,
strongly built structures OF concrete and
are within a few feet of being as wide
as the streets. They have sidewalks
on each side, and driveway in the mid
die. and on the bridge at 18th street
a street car line crosses.
Fer the convenience Of those residing
in Virginia who work in the departments.
or who are In other business in the city.
the railway companies have established
q temporary station on Maryland ave-
nue. near Sth street and at this point
numbers of trains to and from Virginia
points stop during the day. A perma-
nent station. it is said Is to be bull; Ii
the foot of 18th street. just where the
tracks come out of the cut and start
upon the enbankment to the bride.
across the Tidal basin. The ground for
this new station has been graded, and
SOM of the foundation work done. but
for some reason work on the building
was stopped several weeks ago and has
not been resumed
Altogether it Is regarded as big work
the railway companies have done in the
southwest section, as important that
In other parts of the city. and the work
has progressed with remarkable speed.
considering it's nature. Just now any one
desiring to reach the Southwest section
west of eth stree; has to cross either
at 7th or nth streets. as the other
streets are closed. but it is a question
low of only a few weeks before all the
bridges will be completed and opened
10 travel