The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-02
WANTS PLANS FOR
new FREE BRIDGE
Jones Will Offer Resolution in
Common Council on Mon
day Night.
FOR COMPETITIVE DESIGNS
Contract to Be Awarded and
Work to Begin Day Mayo
Bridge Is Opened.

Realizing that the lettering old
! Free Bridge, propped up on wooden
1 poles as II is, must soon be replaced.
| Councilman Carter C. Jones. of South
Rtchmond, will offer in the Common
| Council on Monday night II resolution
| inStructipS the Committee on Streets
! TO secure plans and bids for a new
| bridge, and report the cost to the
Council 1t Is, of course. obvious that
! the present. bridge cannot he closed TO
, traffic until the new Hiuyo Bridge Is
opened. which sill not be until late
| this summer or early in tho fall. bat
| MIR Jones says that the city should
i have contract awarded. all prelim-
inaries arranged, material on the
ground and a contractor ready to be-
sin wrecking the day the Mayo struc-
ture is open for travel.
| The condition OF the old Ninth Street
bridge was the issue which forced the
crisis in tho annexation fight. En-
gincers reported that It had outlived
it's usefulness. and the Joint commits
sion which operated 1t for the cities
of Manchester and Richmond had no
funds for repairs When the cities
united. City Engineer Boiling took
charge OF the property. finding holes
in the stone piers big enough to have
inserted Hour barrels. and spans which
were so rustcd and dccaycd AS 10 be
positively dangerous. About $4,000
has been expended In temporary re-
pairs. a wooden trestlo having been
erected under the weaker spans, as
mere cxpcdicnt to Keep traffic open
until the now bridge being constructed
by the city to connect Hull street.
South Richmond, with Fourteenth
street, is opened
Process Is Tedious.
Mr. Jones was "A member OF tho
Street Committee and of the gubcom-
mittce which selected plans for the
Mayo Bridge. and remembers the long
and tedious work, more than year Of
debate elapsing before contractor
actually began construction.
Even at that. the committee secured
plans ana bids at one time, each con-
tractor bidding on his own plans. the
committee selected what IL considered
the best plan. regardless OF price, out
AS a matter OF fact there was no CON-
pctitive bidding on the plan selected.
Tho resolution Mr. JOINS will offer
instructs the Committee on Streets 10
hold a competition, open - bridge en-
gincers generally, for concrete bridge
spanning the river from Byrd Street,
in Richmond, over. instead cf under.
the Chesapeake and Ohio tracks, 10 an
cmharkmcnt on the south side, prop
crty for the widening 81 which IS now
being acquired by condemnation. When
II daiinitc plan has been adopted by the
Council. Mr. Jones proposes 10 invite
contractors generally to submit bids on
the work and meanwhile the Commit
tee on Finance will he put on notice
and the plans for financing the enter
prise will have bsen perfected He
sees no advantage in waiting until the
now Mayo Bridge is open 10 travel, and
then going through the tedious proc ass
OF awarding contract, prcterriag 10
go through that labor now while Con-
tractor !. j. Smith is being pressed 10
hurry forward thu lower bridge. so that
the loves; bidder in the competition
may be ready with his men, mathi,.ery
and material to begin work the day
the new structure is opened TO travel
Engineers Office Busy.
Mr. Jones said last night that he
would porvide that the plans for the
new bridge be prepared by the City En-
gineers Office, but that 1t was already
UP 10 It's neck In sewer plans and also
had its hands full supervising street
and other work in all parts OF the city,
the funds for street and sewer work
in the new budget being larger than
ever before.
1t has long been realized that one
bridge Will not be enough to connect
the Two sides of the river ana lfiord
adequate street car and general traffic
facilities. and in fact the Engineers
Departm snt has been watching the old,
lettering Ninth Street structure With
anxious eyes Throughout the freezing
weather of this winter, extra walchmen
having been kept on the bridge day
and night. with instructions to report
at once any sign of weakness and to
close the thoroughfare TO traffic. With
imminent danger OF freshe and Ice
foe. there has been no certainty, ana
even now thera is no assurance that
traffic with South Richmond can be
maintained until the new bridge is In
use.