Norwich bulletin., 1914-12-31
STATE HIGHWAY BRIDGE
 OVER THE THAMES.
Commissioner Bennett Has Report for the Incoming Legislature Concerning Corning Changes at New London

In accordance with an enactment of the general assembly of 1913, which accepted as a. gift from the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad company its present railroad bridge over the Thames river for use as a state highway bridge at such time as the companS,S new bridge may be com- pleted, State Highway Commissioner Charles J. Bennett will present to the 1 incoming legislature his report of the estimated cost of remodeling the struc- ture an the building of it's approach es. The project is one of statewide in terest, affecting as it does the state steamship terminal, two railroad com
 panieS. the public utilities commission and the state highway department. It will include a broad highway ex- tending along the present line of the New Haven tracks from the edge of
 the Thames river at the present bridge entrance to point west of the bridge crossing the Central Vermont tracks and thence by easy grades and curves to Crystal avenue Leaving this high way at right angles near tie Standard Oil plant will be another leading direct ! to the state steamship terminal
 In order that senators and repre-
 sentatives may familiarize themselves with the conditions actually existing and those destined to arise in the near future, an invitation will probably be extended to them and any others in- | CSlSd lO f4S1L NEW LDllUDIl GdTly HI January and inspect the locality in the vicinity of the bridge and terminal That the railroad company is very much in earnest in the matter of car ryIng out the changes included in it's recent petition is evident from the
 haste which the contractors are rnak- ing. The first piles to be used in con- nectjon with the building of the fill and treStle over Winthrop cove were driven Monday by the T. A. Scott com
 pany, The cove was then choked with ice A Scott tug ploWed her way into 1 1T, breaking up the ice and giving the pie driver chance to get busy. The piles which were driven are to be used in building a dumping trestle which itself Is utilized in carrying on tbe work Of making a permanent fill An earth fill and culvert will be the method Of carrying the tracks over the cove in their new location. Gov ernment permission was required for ths filling in of the cove and this has been reesived. Other portions of the I construction of the new layout from I1ailarn street to the bank of the l fhames river are progressing with equal rapidity. It is stated that the entire contract will be conapieted by 1 the middle of summer. Opinien is that the building of the new bridge will be- gin immediately thereafter.
 ! IL Is the intention of the railroad company fo make use of it's new lay- Ioot s>t o1iCS upon lIS completion. Nat
 urally. It will be necessary to use the old bridge while the new is being built, and accordingly a spur track with reverse curve is to be construct ed connecting the new line with the old near the bridge entrance. This will leave almost the entire length of
 the old line, along which it is desired
 to construct the highway, free from 1 traffic
 In this way the road building might
 go on simultaneously with the build
 ing of the new railroad bridge, which it is expected would occupy two years. When the state highway bridge is ready for use. the finished approach would be waiting for it All these and other engineering details have been
 carefully worked out by those in charge of the project.
 In the opinion of experts no other
 method Of constructing approaches to the bridge and the steamship terminal
 can compare with that which has been
 suggested and which in all probability will be recommended by the state highway commissioner. Among others automobilists ia vast numbers will welcome the day when it shall become
 possible to cross the Thames by ! bridge instead of ferry. The taking over of the bridge for highway use tho latter system of transportation. No definite statement of the cost of
 the bridge changes and approaches is obtafnable, but it is believed that in proportion to the benefits to be de- rived it is not excessive and that the
 financial returns to the state would be immediate and lasting