Arizona republican., 1909-04-01
TEMPE DERARTyM EMT
+. w. GRlFFEw,
Manager
RESPECTIVE MERITS
OF TWO BRIDGE SITES
A Communication From a Number of
the Bridge Committee.

in yesterday mornings paper regarding
the plans of the proposed Center street
! bridge, the following has been submit
ted by a member of the Tempe bridge
committee:
| The article on the plans of Heards
| bridge in yesterday mornings Republi-
can, was as artistically constructed as
! Mr.. Heard would have us believe the
| bridge would be. But, looking deeper
than the surface, is there any old res
ident of the Salt River valley that be-
lieves that a bridge can be constructed
at any point on the Salt river where
pier only 10 feet below the surface not
including the piles. will remain for any
| length of time? While Mr.. Heard uses
the names of various bridge companies
and engineers in support of his argu-
ments, the tax payers Of this county
want to remember that these compa-
MES are preparing estimates without
knowing the actual conditions Of our
western rivers. There has never been
wagon bridge constructed across the
ella. or Salt river, with the one eX-
ception of the bridge at Florence that
now stands a mile from the river.
Mr.. Heard sent copy of the county
engineers profile, showing certain
width of opening and asking for plans
for bridge to span this opening. Ii is
the same proposition as asking a man
how much il will cost TO build mile
OF fence. Figuring labor and material
at so much, he tell you it vii cost
certain sum To build a wire fence and
a certain sum To build a board fence.
He doesn't insure the fence to stand,
and if he found that the fence was to
be built across a bed of quick sand. he
would hardly take a contract at his
original estimate. And does any Ari-
zonian believe that the scour of the
Salt river. flowing at the rate of about
twenty miles an hour does not go
down more than ten feet?
Arizona has had some experience in
building a bridge in the sand OF a
bankless river Look at the present
territorial bridge at Florence 4 wiser
man than Dwight b. Heard once used
parable about the man who built his
house on the sand. and the one who
built on the rock The taxpayers of
this county may well apply this to the
building Of bridges.
The bridge at Tempe viii be built
on bedrock at a point where the river
can never be wider. 1t will require
fourteen piers as against Mr.. Heard's
twenty nine; there are no long riprap
entertainments; the piers will stand I'M
til, like the piers OF the old railroad
bridge. they are dynamited out.
A bridge at Tempe can be built for
NGn nd R.t III
bridge can be built for $50. 900. the
opening at Tempe being 1900 feet; at
Heard's ranch, LOO feet. The reason
for the cost and length not being in
proportion. must be either an under
estimate at Heard's ranch. or it is
possible that the construction Of piers
on the surface in a gravel bed may be
cheaper than the construction of the
same on bedrock.
At any rate, it is well to remember
that. no matter what type Of bridge
you build at Heard's ranch. the same
type can be built at Tempe at less
cost to the county at a place where IL
VIII stay, on the main Travelled road
across this territory, and at a place
where it will benefit the largest num-
Der of taxpayers.
The people of the south side have
not attempted to tell the board of su-
pervisors what type Of bridge they
should construct, believing that the |
are capable of deciding that |
question themselves when the time |
comes There has never been a re-
port made on the two sites by a com |
petent engineer, and even Mr. Heard |
would hardly say that any engineer |
would favor the crossing at Heard's |
ranch, if asked to make a survey esti- |
mate. and report on the comparative |
merit of the two sites.