The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-02-17
mayo BRIDGE IS
TWO-TH|RDS DONE.
Will Be Ready for Traffic Before
City Solves Problem OF
Approaches.
OPEN WEATHER AIDS WORK
contractor l. ]. Smith Promises
Delivery OH Contract Date,
Tulv u.
open WEATHER AIDS WORK

Taking advantage Of tho unusually
open wes tier of the past few weeks
contractors FOR the new Mayo bridge
have pushed the work forward rapidly.
until ]. j. Smith president of the con
dractnS firm. nov asserts with conf
depce that the structure will be dciiv-
nrcd 10 the city complete on tho con
tract date-IWly - next From end
to end a force Of more than $50 men
arc working, and il IL i fact UNIQUE
jr the experience of the contractors
that since the first OF tho year the
men have made full time each week.
SEvcr> pier is row up out of tho water,
and small frcShctS and ordinary high
water are no longer TO he feared. Moth
ing short oC genuine fifteen foot
'lcod. covering all of the lower part OF
the city, would now suffice TO stop the
work for any length of time
Curious Weather Contrast.
in n curious contrast between last
winter and this. the reports of the con.
tractor show that during last winter
tho piers between tho island and tho
north shore were being constructed
There was period of more than two
months of almost continuous freezing
weather when the City Engineer would
allow no concrete TO he poured, and the
frequent rises III the river during that
winter carried away the wooden foot
way used by the workmcn more than
thirty times. This winter the work
has been on the southern side of tho
island There has not been Il uontin-
nous week when concrete could not bc
poured, and not once has the wooden
footbridge been swept away by high
water.
Tie contract price of the bridge is
aSoloc0. 10 which is to be added GER
tain extras for work on the island and
Tor street car tracks The city has
pad out on account Of construction
UP 70 February l, sll2,95aS9 The
structure is approximately two thirds
completed: in fact, If allowance is made
Tor material and machinery on the
ground, careful estimate would place
the work al about three -fourths done.
Beginning al the north shore, all Of the
arches lave been completed to the
island, and carts are now making the
sand nil on which the paving is to
rest. Worknen are prcpar ring the side
work viii begin OH the conduits, pipe
lines curbs and street car tracks
BLOCKS for the paving have already
arrived from the quarry On the
Island portions OF the retaining walls
have been built and the wooden false
being removed
Arches Almost RiEid.
when the wooden supports were taken
from under the first arch, engineers
speculatcd as to tho amount OF sag,
calculating IL from u half-inch TO
Nh inch and a half 1t Was about a
quarter OF an inch South of the island
all OF the piers have pcer completed
All work in the water i done. and the
Srnne work for the arches is being
placed. and the network of steel rcin-
Forcing rivetcd into place During
this week they will pour concrete into
the FIRST southern arch beyond the
island IS Contractor Smith explained
II Yesterday, The programs has been
laid out from end TO end so that each
gang works southwark in sequence
ard there is nothing 10 do but 10 push
the lob right through 10 completion
II necessary. night iinngs can be used
ON every part of the structure except
pouring concrete, where close inspec-
tion is required 10 SEQ that there is
both proper mixture and proper lamp
ing. Under the contract. the city of
Richmond furnishes al cement. so that
there is 10 incentive 10 stint the mix
lures OF their proper INGREDIENTS
Contractors FOR the bridge proper
believe that they will have the struc-
ture done long before the city has
solved the problem 81 proper approach
es. ana the chances are that even after
the bridge is completed, its use Will be
much hampered. il not prevented. by
the supplemental work required No
contracts have keen awarded as Vet for
sma!t DridscS 'cNe'" the canals, either at
the northern or southern ends.
Problem Of Approaches.
The present wooden bridge over the
South Richmond canal, it is stated
must be entirely replaced before the
structure can lie opened TO traffic 1t
Fill probably lac rebuilt of concrete
OH Il much higher level in accordance
with the plan for the South Richmond
approaches TO the bridge. The cues
zion OF damages to abuttiug property
owners because of the construction OF
approaches has not been determined
nor has the city adopted any definite
plan for the widening OF Fourteenth
Street on the northern side The Ad-
ministrative Board has cut its way
through mass of red tape 10y enter
Ing into correspondence directly with