The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-15
BRIDGE APPROACH
COUNCIL PROBLEM
Finance Committees Action on
$24O,OOO Project Awaited
With Interest.
STRUCTURE ALMOST OPEN
No Trouble About Southern
End, as Damage Is to Be
Fixed by Board:
STRUCTURE ALMOST OPEN

Chairman Barton Fl. Grundy has
called meeting of tho Council Com
mittee on Finance to take up tonight
The several ordinances carrying in
creases of salary to certain officers and
employees of the city. and to consider
the report of the special commi ssio n
appointed by the Hastings Court to de :
1 terminc the value of the property need
ed for widening the northern approach
to the new Mayo Bridge
or the propositions that will he laid
before the Finance Committee tonight.
the one relating TO the bridge approac h
is of greatest Immediate interest l. J.
Smith & Co, contractors for the new
bridge. have promised to have the
structure completed by September l.
Progress on the cleanup work justifics
the belief that the bridge will be open
Tor traffic within the next three week S.
Approaches. Open Question.
With the Mayo Bridge on the verge
of completion. the approaches on both
the north and the south sides are prac =
tically what they were when the Struc-
ture was started. and the bridge APP
proaches particularly the one on tho
north side of the river are at presen t
the big Council problem.
According to the special commlssion's
report filed last Saturday in the Hus-
tings Court. IT will cost the CITY up-
wards of $4,000 to acquire the prop
erty necessary for opening an eighty
foot approach from Main Street to the
northern end OF the bridge The fig
ures do not include the cost of n strip
on the west side of Fourteenth Street
owned by the Southern Railway, for
which no valuation was fled
Widen Fifteenth street.
1t is proposed to obtain this approacb
by widening Fifteenth Street on it's
eastern side TO the dock by acquiring
the dock property between Fifteenth n nd
Fourteenth Streets, and by widcning
Fourteenth Street from tho dock south
ward to the bridge. The eightv-foot
thoroughtare thus designed is planned
to take care of street ear MS well rs
vehicle traffic 10 and from the South
side.
On the Souths!de the problem is
simpler. Proceedings are already un-
der way for acquiring the property
necessary for widening the southern
approach. Some OF the property be-
longs to the Virginia Railway and
Power Company. which has indicat cd
ITS Willingness TO leave the determin-
lnS OF It's value TO n board of arbi-
tration. No estimate of tho cost OF
the southern approach has as yet been
reported
Everybody Is silent
none or the committee has express ed
himself on the question OF spending a
! iNN'''' VI q !h4IilcN dollars the
northern approach. and to-night's ex-
animation OF the special commission's
report VIII give the first clue TO the
fate that the plan may expect.
Opposition 10 the expenditure of the
money takes the view that the need
Tor a wide approach from Main stree,
is not as pressing as 1t is popularlv
supposed TO be. 1t IS pointed out. for
example. that the present Free Bridge
cares for all the tratnc btwcen tho
twin cities without marked congcg-
,Iom, ana that when the new bridge
Is thrown open the traffic Will be split
between the two
In favor OF the widening OF Eff
teenth Street 1t Is urged that now is
me time TO provide for the future
ifaihc' it is pointed out by those who
favor the cighty-f foot approach will
double in volume in a few wears and
VIII compel the construction of an AIDE
quate approach sooner or later