The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-10-07
CONTRACT
Awarded Bridge Company
One Of The Largest
Ever Let To A Company In
The State
Some Facts About The Bridge
To Be Built

The GAINESVILLE Times Recorder has
the following concerning the big con
tract awarded the Mt. Vernon Bridge
Co., in GAINESVILLE, which was noted
in Wednesdays Banner:
The contract for the construction OF
the new Fifth street bridge was
awarded Tuesday afternoon to the Mt
Vernon Bridge Company. After thor.
oughly canvassing the bids of the r
II. Evans company and the bridge
construction company, it was decided
to make the award to the lowest bid.
der inasmuch as the concern is re.
liable and substantial and well qualifi.
ed to finish the work satisfactorily to
the taxpayers, public and the county
commissioners. The contract price
was $209,9S5.
According to the terms of the agree
ment the new bridge is to be com
pleted and open to traffic by Septem-
ber /, 1911. Work will begin, both on
the tearing down of the present struc-
ture and the erection of the new, early
in the spring The exact date has not
been determined 1t was deemed best
by the county commissioners to have
the old bridge remain intact over the
winter months, in order to accommo-
date the residents of the old Eighth
and Tenth wards.
| AMI ,,,;Il h. 4
along the most modern and approved
plans, and will prove a lasting monu-
ment. to future generations of Zanes-
Williams. 1t will be practically inde-
structible, capable of withstanding the
attacks of the elements for years to
come. The specifications call for
steel structure encased in concrete,
with the exception of the middle span.
On account Of the length of this span,
265 feet, concrete encasement would
not be practible, consequently steel
will be used at that point entirely.
This break in the kind of material will
not in the least mar the beauty or
general effect of the bridge.
The flooring will be laid with brick,
while creosote block will be utilized in
the channel span. This material will
greatly reduce the cost of keeping the
flooring in condition and the expense
of painting will be very light. The
new bridge will be at least so per
cent heavier in construction than the
bridge, owing to the advancement
made in the concrete trade during the
past ten years. The roadway will be
two feet wider than the old bridge.
The commissioners included in the
contract of the Mt. Vernon people, the
stipulation that the old bridge should
be wrecked piecemeal. Each board,
beam and rafter, together with all the
iron and steel parts, will have to be
properly piled on the banks of the riv-
er and marked. Nearly all of the lum-
Der and iron that is in good condi-
tion can be reused or sold. In addi-
tion the plans call for the removal of
the channel span of the present struc-
ture as one piece. 1t is figured that the
span is in sufficiently good condition
to be made over into bridge for some
section of the county, where the traf-
fic is light and not burdened with the
passing of heavily laden street cars.
If not used for this purpose the span
could be more readily sold as one
piece than in sections. The commits
sioners have been doing some close
figuring during the past few days and
it is estimated that between $4,000
and $4,000 can be secured for the
old bridge, either in it's entirety or in
lots. This saving to the county will
be considerable and the money could
be devoted to divers uses.
Each and every piece of material
used in the erection of the new bridge
will be thoroughly inspected in the
shops by experts in this hne. The
construction agents will be held lit
orally to their contract in every re-
spect and detail. The commissioners
will appoint an engineer of construc-
tion in few weeks.
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