Evening star., 1911-08-20
PUSH BRIDGE PLAN
Commissioners Will Not Drop
Calvert Street Project.
ASK MONEY FOR SURVEY
No Intention of Allowing Congress
to Forget It.
PRESENT BRIDGE NOW SAFE
Addition of 100 Tons of Supporting
Steel Has Served to Allay All
Apprehension.
Ask MONEY FOR SURVEY
PRESENT BRIDGE NOW SAFE

Although Calvert street bridge, SPAN
ming Rock creek. has just been strength
ened at a cost of $4,000 District officials
have not abandoned the plan to have a
new and larger bridge take its place.
The District Commissioners, it was
learned yesterday. in all probability. will
ask Congress next year for an appropria-
ton of $500 with which to make sur
vey for the proposed structure
District Engineer of Bridges Baily. it is
understood has recommended to the Com
missioners that th.- include the item in
their next annual estimates. That the
recommendation will meet with the ap-
proval of the Commissioners is believed
to be assured
For several years the Commissioners
have endeavored to get an appropriation
for the survey. When Congress passed
the bill authorizing the expenditure Of
5000 for Strengthening the Calvert
street bridge the belief became current
that efforts to secure a survey for the
new bridge would not be Immediately re-
Sumed.
Will Not Drop Matter.
According to District officials who are
in touch with the situation, there is no
disposition on the part of the Comm.s-
sioners to allow the matter to escape the
notice of Congress for any length of
time.
1t is believed that, in view Of the re-
cent twenty y-five-thousand-dollar appro-
priation. members of Congress will be
more impressed than ever with the fact
that the effort to secure a bridge to take
the place of the Calvert street structure
is serious one. and that the improve
ment eventually must be provided.
The present bridge, strengthened by 100
additional tons of steel, is as safe as
any in the District, according to Engineer
Bailey In this view Capt. Mark Brooke,
assistant Engineer Commissioner, con-
ours.
However, according to these officials,
the bridge is not sufficiently wide to ac-
commodate the traffic that passes over it,
nor does it's style of construction har-
monize with the Connecticut Avenue con-
crete bridge, located near 1t, nor tend to
preserve the natural features of the val
ley over which it is constructed.
Capt Brooke yesterday gave as his
opinion that the bridge WILL in the course
of few years, at the most. be replaced
by a new one, which will be larger and
more in keeping with the general i'm
provements that have been made in that
section of the city.
Engineer Baily said that the topog-
raphy of the valley at the point where
the Calvert Street bridge passes over it
is such as to make possible the construc-
tion of one of the largest masonry arches
in the world.
District officials already have been fig
uring what will be the probable cost of
erecting bridge at that point. The eight
observation-disclosures Connec-
ticut Avenue bridge has length Of 1,2OO
feet, whereas the Calvert Street bridge is
but 100 feet long. Should the proposed
bridge be built on the basis. of the Con-
necticut avenue structure it would cost,
1t is said. in the neighbo orhood of $5O0.OOO.
At present, the Calvert Street bridge
has thirty-nine-foot roadway, with two
sidewalks that are five feet eight inches
wide each. The new structure. it is as
serted, will be provided with a fifty-foot
roadway and sidewalks of not less than
ten feet in width.
Interested in Project.
Chevy Chase residents and others liv-
ing between the suburban section and
the bridge are interested in the PROPOSE
ton to have a new structure erected.
While the strengthening of the present
one has tenddd to alIay any fears that
may have existed as to its safety, senti-
ment in favor of larger and more mod
ern bridge being constructed has by no
means abated.
Should Congress provide an appropria-
tion for a survey It probably would be
two or three years before work on the
bridge could be commenced. According
to Engineer Baily. the two sides Of the
bridge could be built separately SO that
traff1c would not be halted
The Penn Bridge Company. which was
awarded the contract for Strengthening
the present structure. has finished the
work, and District officials have. an
nounced that they are satisfied with the
results obtained. The vibrations pre-
viously caused when street cars and