The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-11
SOLID CONCRETE
PIERS FOR BRIDGE
Four Massives Ones in Place on
Which River Structure
Will Stand.
SAFE AGAINST ATTACKS
New Mayo Bridge Will With
stand Freshets and Ice.
Work Being Rushed.

Four massive piers OF solid concrete,
sixty feet across the top, now stands
| In James River, between Mayo's Island
and tho north shore, as tho nucleus
or the Imposing and permanent con-
crete roadway which tho city is now
! oullding to replace old Mayo's Bridge.
Preparations are all made for a NTH
pier. debris and sand having been
removed within a Golfer dam, down
10 tho solid rock formation. Into this
holes have been drilled and steel
dowel pins inserted. around which tho
concrete of a new pier will BIO poured
TO- day. So far as can BIO anticipated
tho new structure is being anchored
IN place beyond the power of freshet
or Ice foe. The pier to be begun to day
goes five feet deeper below the river
ped than tho former stone pile which
replaces. examination within the
coher dam having shown that the old
piers were piled loosely on old ma
terial OF former. bridge loose rock
and the usual accumulation OF rreshcts
Much difficulty has been experienced in
removing all this. and laying bare n
smooth surface of bed rock on which
TO found the new structure. which, II
erected as is proposed. should stand
III III LOT many generations.
To Complete by Sections.
No start has as yet been made on
inc arches. which will rise ten feet
above the present piers. each arch
having seventy-one-foot span. Tho
portion OF the bridge between Rich
mond and Mayo's Island will he prac-
ucally completed before the old sec
ton lis torn away toward the south, MS
IL Is now being utilized for the trans
portaton of material and supplies.
Although the contract calls for com
pletion within twelve months from
July Z, 1t is doubtful whether. with
the utmost dispatch the structure can
be opened for travel In that time, cspe-
cially since after the present con-
tract is completed, expensive work
MUST De done to arrange proper ap-
proaches Into Fourteenth Street on tho
north and into Hull Street on tho
south. Dilatory action on the pnrt
oil the Committee on Streets is prov
ing ohe factor OF delay for which tho
contracting firm, I. ]. Smith & Co,
Inc, cannot be held responsible. Eight
weeks ago City Engineer Charles L.
Boiling reported 10 tho Committee on
Streets plans for retaining walls for
the embankmcnt across Mayo's Island.
Ihe papers went to the subcommittee
on New Bridge. which has had no
meeting. One was called last month.
put 1T CHANGED to be circus day, and
i've of the seven members failed to
show up. and no effort has since been
made TO get meeting. It was cspe-
cially desired that this plan he passed
upon by the Committee ON Streets. so
that the largo force OF workmen en-
gagged on the job might be utilized
on thu island on days when high water
prevents construction in the river. AS
1t is. the force has to be laid off dur
Ing each rise OF water. resulting IN
Just that much delay on the job as
whole
Light Steel Skeleton.
q. McAllister Bowers, formerly an
assistant in the Office of the CITY En-
ginccr, Is the supervising engineer
for the city, with two concrete in
spectors. Mr.. Bowers has charge of
the location of the work. according 10
plans prepared by the Concrete steel
engineering Company OF New York.
The plans adopted call for what is
known as the Melan system of rein
torcement Of the arches Under
this system light steel skeleton of
each arch Is riveted into place, form
ing complete bridge, around which
the concrete is poured. The contract
price Is S22i,t3i. not counting APP
proaches or site. There will be in all
eighteen arches. each with a span of
se!cnty-one feet. with four abutments
and sixteen piers. The total length
from shore to shore is to be 1,721 feet:
with roadway forty-four feet from
curb TO curb. and eight feet sidewalks
on either side. making sixty feet over
all. Provision is made for watar and
gas mains and for conduits for electric
wires. The structure is designed to
carry fifty ton electric cars and will
nave two trucks. One of the most
serious features of expense yet 10
be considered by the Committee on
Streets Is the condemnation of land to
widen the streets at either end AT
one point Fourteenth street is barely
twenty eight feet from curb to curb
opening out toward the bridge, where
traffic will not be so dense, 10 forty
four feet.