The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-09-28
EAST LAKE TAKING
LEAD FOR HIGHWAY
THROUGH THE CITY
Probably Doing More Paving
Than Any Suburb In the
Entire District
FIRST AVENUE TO BECOME
ONE GREAT BOULEVARD
Woodlawn Is Also Doing Considerable
Work But viii Leave Greater
Part of the Taok for
Birmingham.

East Lake looks like the scene of an
earthquake. Every street within the cor
porate limits Is torn up, so that it is
practically impossible to enter the town
in any. kind of vehicle. 1t has been five
years or more since East Lake had a
good road through its limits, but now
she is preparing a system that will put
all the other suburbs to shame.
While really fine roads run up to the
corporate limits of the various towns
around Birmingham, 1t has been almost
impossible to reach them, but the East
Lake board has decided to do it's part
before coming into Greater Birmingham.
Under the direction of DR.. j. H. Finch,
chairman of the street committee more
than 100000 is being spent on public i'm
provements, and contracts have been let
for grading and paving the streets, side
walks, curbs and laying sewers. More
than a half-dozen sub-contractors are at
work in the streets, tearing up every
where.
First avenue will be the most complete
highway through the city. For the past
two months the Birmingham Railway,
Light and Power company has been en-
gagged in lowering its tracks about five
feet, to the level of the street, at a
great expense. While 1t is now lowered
from Sixty-sixth to Seventy-fifth streets,
at least two more months work will be
necessary to get the tracks in place. In
the meantime, however. the contractors
are getting busy on First avenue, the
curbing and sidewalks have been laid
over about six blocks, and mules and
men are busily engaged in grading the
street. Stag measuring 10 inches and
ebert six inches before rolling will make
a fine pavement, giving four-inch rolled
ebert top.
1t Is hoped to have First avenue COM
plete by the first of the year, and pos
sibly by December |, when the trip from
Birmingham by the poor house road, en-
tering East Lake at Seventy-fifth street,
Will be very good.
Woodlawn has First avenue cherted
from limit to limit but 1t is badly washed
and has been excavated so much for lay
ing pipes that 1t is exceedingly rough
Mayor Perryman stated last night that
the council would put in few improve
ments between Sixty-first and Sixty.
fourth streets. but would leave the
smoothing out of the avenue to the
greater city.
East Lake Is not only paving First
avenue from end to end, but is paving,
curbing and sidewalking Second avenue
from Seventy-flrst to Seventy seventh
street; Sloss avenue, between the same
streets; Hillman avenue, from Seventy
fourth to Seventy street; Sixty
sixth street. from First avenue to Berney
avenue, all of Grace street, and Lewis
street; Seventy-fourth and Seventy-fifth
streets, from Third to Underwood avenue
Seventy-sixth street, from Third to
Walker avenue; Seventy-seventh street,
from Third to Caldwell avenue Eightieth
street. from First avenue to city limits;
Eighty second street, from First to I'm
derwooo avenue, and Eighty-fourth
street, from First to Caldwell. Contracts
will soon be let for Berney avenue, part
of Eightieth street. and Seventy-third
street.
Underwood avenue, the old county pike
which was once the best road in the
county, now gone to ruin, will not be
touched. The Tidewater Development
company appeared before the council and
agreed to build their car line and have
trains running within IA months after the
expiration of the present franchise In
November. They asked that they time be
extended and that Underwood avenue be
left unpaved, they having agreed to build
the road after finishing the grading al
their own expense.
Nine miles of sewerage are now being
laid, the contract having been let for lay
ing sewers in the whole lower part OF
the town, and when finished the sewer
system of East Lake will be finished in
every detail