The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-14
CHANGES MADE IN
v|ADUCT PLAN BY
NEW COMMITTEE
Will Not Agree to Permanent
Closing of the Streets
and Alleys
FURNISH RIGHT OF WAY
FOR RAILROAD PROJECT
City VIII Not Pay for Approaches and
Work on First Avenue Must Be-
gin by January Twill Re-
quire Second yiaduct


At an informal meeting yesterday of
the committee of seven aldermen having
in hand the question of viaducts for Bir-
mingham, a tentative plan was outlined
which will be gone over again tomorrow
and will tomorrow night be submitted to
the joint committee, which will, If agree
able, submit the report to the council at
the next meeting.
The aldermen having the matter under
advisement have worked over the plans
and have agreed to secure for the rail-
roads a right-of-way for the viaduct and
will also maintain a certain portion of it.
In addition to this the city will pay for
certain repairing of the bridge, but will
not stand responsible for any renewals.
OmcinI Statement Made
The following official statement was
made yesterday by Chairman Gregg. AL
dermen Burnett, Williams and Moore:
AT meeting of the committee acting
for the general committee, tentative plans
were outlined as our proposal to the rail-
roads. Unless we modify our present
plans or add to them In some way the
recommendations we will make to the full
committee will be along this order:
1.-The city of Birmingham would have
viaducts rather than subways.
I'VE wish the first viaduct constructed
placed over the streets parallel with First
avenue.
Work must start on or before January
I. 1911.
I'VE demand another viaduct on TWEEN
ty-eighth street. work to begin on or
before January l, 1915.
1.-The total cost of construction will be
on the railroads.
THE city will not pay any cost of ap-
proaches
1.-The city of Birmingham will secure
the railroads a right-of-way
1.-THE city will maintain the roadway
and sidewalks outside the 1S-inch line of
street railway tracks. (This rule is now
in vogue on city streets.
THE city of Birmingham will not force
the present closed streets TO be opened,
but will not agree to close them except
temporarily.
THE same applies to alleys and ave-
nues.
I'VE believe that this plan Is very fair
and we believe that the railroads will &C
cept it. The variance is not so very acute
and any fair-minded man can come In on
this plan. We hope and believe this plan
will be accepted by the committee we
represent as a favorable report and will
recommend this plan to the council"
Differences Not Great
This counter proposal which will be for
the approval of the committee and the
council, Is made after plan by the rail-
roads had been turned down by the coun-
Gil. The plan newly formulated and the
one offered by the railroads do not differ
to any great extent.
The railroads requested that certain
streets and alleys be closed. The city
agrees not to force the opening of any
of them now closed. The railroads re-
quested the payment of property abutting
damages. The city proposes to secure
the railroads right The rail-
roads desired the city to participate in
the upkeep but not the renewals. This
is agreed to in the new plan.
The construction of two viaducts by the
railroads is really the only new feature to
the transaction. This will not be agreed
to at this time according to those in touch
with conditions. But in 1915 1t may be
that another one will be contracted for.
In agreeing to the plan of securing a
right-ofway for the railroads the alder
men threshed the matter out from start
to finish. 1t is proposed to allow the via
duct to rise at per cent grade begin
ming along about Twenty-fifth street The
level of the viaduct will begin at Twenty
sixth street and will continue past the
Sloss furnace to the Belt railroad cross
ing on Thirty-second street. The ap-
proach will then drop at per cent
grade to the ground. Under this plan the
committee figures that 500 feet on each
end Of the viaduct will be outside the
property of the Sloss company and the
railroads. These companies have ex-
empted themselves from any damages.
So by the present plan the city would
only be required to furnish 1000 lineal feet
of right-of-way The cost of this WILL
according to the opinion of many expert
real estate men. be very light. The city
engineers have made a sketch of this plan
and yesterday 1t was threshed out in
every detail
Railroads Pay for Approaches
The approaches will be paid for by the
railroads The council committee does
not believe it is the duty of the city to
become responsible for any such work
1t Is generally believed that the railroads
will not wage any contention In this re-
gard and will agree to construct the ap-
proaches. If this item is agreed to then
the city will secure viaduct over the
fatal grade crossing soon.
The committee went into the que stion
of whether viaducts would be betteI IAN