The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-06-29
COUNCIL IS CHECKMATED
IN BRIDGE APPROACHES
Concrete Span Erected Mt Immense
Cost Is Still without Ade-
quate Outlet
TWO PLANS ARE CONSIDERED
Traffic Conditions i'm Cary Street
Make Some Action Imperative.
Cost Will BE Large by Either
Route Decided Upon.

After more than a yea, of desultory
work on the approach to the new Mayo
Bridge. the City Council appears again
to be checkmatcd In It's effort to pro-
vide acccsB to the concrete span con-
structed across the james River ut an
approximate cost Of 100000. The
latest setback was experienced less
than two weeks ago In the practical
failure OF the city and the Southern
Railway Company to agree upon terms
for the transfer OF a strip of tho rail-
roads right Of way on the west side
of Fourteenth Street, between Cary
Street and the abutnent Of tho bridge.
The drawing reproduced herewith
was prepared by Bolton, Clarke &:
Pratt. Inc. for the interests favoring
the widening of Fourteenth Street AZ
the approach to the Mayo Bridge. Tn
der this plan The city would acquire
from the Southern Railway Company
enough land to make Fourteenth street
sixty feet wide between the bridge and
Cary Street.
To widen TO sixty feet Fourteenth
Street from Cary to Main street II is
proposed under this plan 10 cut a stuff
Client slice from the properties fronting
on the east side Of Fourteenth street.
and TO allow these properties a com
pensating increase In depth to new
thirty foot street. which it Is proposed
TO open between Fourteenth and Eff
teenth Streets. to run from Main to
Cary Streets.
HAVE OPTIONS on
FOURTEENTH STREET ROUTE
Advocates of the Fourteenth street
route have submitted 70 the subcom
mittee on bridge approach Il statement
purporting to show that the Widening
of that street In accordance with their
plan offers the most economical sOlu
ton Of the bridge approach problem.
Options have been secured from tho
property owners on the east side of
Fourteenth street. II Is stated. TO in
sure the transfer of the needed land
at yeasonable cost. should this route
be adopted
The rival route. indicated In diagonal
shading on the drawing here repro
duced. provides for an approach from
Main Street through Fifteenth Street
and the Dock. Under this plan. favored
by the City Engineer and strongly APP
proved by Chairman Morgan r Mills,
of the bridge approach subcommittee.
Fifteenth Street would be made eighty
feet wide TO the Dock. and Dock Street
would be widened 10 Fourteenth Street.
Fourteenth Street would then be widen
ed TO either eighty or sixty feet. de-
pending upon what arrangement could
be made with the Southern Railway.
FIFTEENTH STREET PEOPLE
MAKE LOWER OFFER
The failure OF the city SO far TO
has revived interest In the Fifteenth
Street route. which would require ran
. road property on Fourteenih street
Under condemnation proceedings IN
stItuted in the Hastings Court bv d.
rectiou OF the CITY Council. the value
OF the property required Tor the widen
ing OF Fifteenth street and the dock
Was nXed at about $4,000. Inc
amount was considered excessive, ana
the proceedings were dismissed.
the Fifteenth Street property owners
have submitted 20 the city an offer
under which they indicate their Will
rhgiiess TO part with such OF their
holdings as arc needed by the city ~ Il
price materially less than that liked ~
the Hastings Court commissions.
Whether the Fourteenth or Fifteenth
IS admitted by Council authorities that
the widening OF Fourteenth Street 10
at least sixty feet ell the way from
Main Street TO the bridge IL essential.
railroad roperty occurred when the
Southern Rallway demanded a n con
sions which the City Attorney regarded
az more valuable than the land which
the railroad proposed 10 dedicate 10
tho city.
WILL MAKE ANOTHER
EFFORT TO SOLVE PROBLEM
The bridge approach subcom'nittee
sion of the Southern Railways OFFER.
and the whole matter is in statu quo.
Chairman Mills has indicated that I've
viii not let the matter rest until some
satisfactory adjustment OF the bridge
approach problem is reached. and an
early meeting OF the committee is ex-
pected.
Regardless of the need OF providing
an outlet for the heavy bridge traffic
and for trolley cars from South Rich
mond, IL is pointed out by those ia
miliar with the neighborhood that
there is serious traffic congestion ct
Fourteenth and Cary Streets. which. IL
Is held, can only be relieved by the
opening of Fourteenth street to sixty
feet and the opening OF the proposed
new street from Main TO Cary parallel
ing Fourteenth and Fifteenth Streets.
This street is provided for in the Four
teenth Street plan OF compensating
property owners for property taken
from the front OF their lots, and opens
the way for a city regulation requiring
all firms to load from the rear OF their
places of business, thus obviating the
present nuisance OF heavy trucks with
their skids over the narrow sidewalks
on the main thoroughfare TO tho
bridge.