Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-11-18
POLK COUNTY IS In
FAVOR OF BRIDGE
County Judge and Officials from Polk
County Meet Marion County Officials
All Think Btidge Necessity.


At the meeting Of the county courts
Of Marion and Polk county with the
city street committee and some Of the
principal tax payers held at the court
house this afternoon at o'clock the
sentiment was practically unanimous
for new steel bridge across the Will
lamette river at this city and the new
bridge to be constructed as soon as
possible. County Judge ]. B. Teal, Of
Polk County, and s. II, Petrie and g. A..
Wells the two county commissioners
from Polk county We're in attendance at
the meeting and both stated that the
people of Polk county in no section
would oppose the new bridge If the same
was thought to be necessary.
County Judge Bushey, Dan Fry, Will.
liam Brown, Frank Southwick, A. Bush,
Judge Boise, and number Of others all
spoke in favor Of the bridge and asked
that it be Of the best possible construc.
tion and that IL be erected as soon as
possible as they considered the present
structure unsafe for traffic. II is pro-
posed to fix the expense of new bridge
in the present year budget Of taxes in
order that the new structure may be
completed by January ], 1916
The proposed bridge as designed by
State Highway Engineer Bowlby is q
swing draw bridge and will be built
on The street level, (which will eliminate
an extended approach. The draw span
is 100 feet long The length OF the
bridge varies with, the different sites,
but the width is "a feet over all, the
driveway being 32 feet in the clear and
allowing for a siS.toot walk on each
side of the structure. The width Of 80
feet will accommodate two passage
ways for vehicles and street eur track
in the center. The bridge was designed
for an interrban street ear track be.
cause It could be built to sustain the
added traffic at small increased cost.
The only additional expense being heav-
Ter ~" beams under the street car
tracks.
Any street ear company then could
be allowed to place its tracks ON the
bridge for an annual rental and as the
traffic increased and the bridge became
more valuable the rental 10 the street
ear company could be adjusted to fit
these conditions. II is not proposed to
allow any street cur company to con
tribute to the original cost Of the
bridge, as IL has been proven by ex'
porience that under sucn conditions the
street ear company usually controls the
bridge aud the county g,city hns no re-
course for rental to recover n part
Of the original cost Of the bridge
Site NoC Selected
As for the ntes, complete surveys
were mnde for Marion street, the pres
ent site at Center street, Chemeketa
Court and State. The same foundation
could be built on any Of the sites, ac
cording to Mr.. Bowlby. The Chemeketa
street site would be the most expensive
In construction because the water is
30 feet deep nt this place. The main
objection 10 Chomeketa street would b,
to the trucks Of the p. n. 4 II. rail
way company, whose ear shops are 10
Gated on this street, and the passage OF
whose cars would obstuct the traffic
The =. Il. & n. built their ear shops
on this street because IL was considered
10 ne sue htlcct anu nOL lnufn uhtu
by building the bridge on Mariof
street the present bridge could be usec
until the new structure was completed
II would take at least five months t
build the bridge, and II the new brldg,
were placed on the present site a ferry
would have 10 be used for the traffl,
while the oil bridge was being wrecked
and the new one built. The street com
mittce was not favorable to placing thu
bridge further down town than Chemek
eta. Tho Court street site and the Stat
street site were not counted practicabl'
on account of the increased cost o
construction.
Steel Is Cheap Now.
; The bridge engineers were favorable
Ito constructing the bridge as soon q