The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-08-07
WHOLE BOULEVARD
IS TO BE SURF AGED
Williamsburg Avenue to Be
Widened, Graded and Paved
With Granite.
CITYS FORMULA PREFERRED
Beck and Hirschberg Oppose Use
of Expensive Patented Forms
of Street Paving.
CITY'S FORMULA PREFERRED


Park. as we'll as the widening and paw
ing OF Williamsburg Avenue from
Lewis to Lester Streets. will be in
cludcd In the extensive surface i'm
provement program which Will be be
gun shortly By the Administrative
Board under the s500.o Gunst bond
issue
Before the middle OF next week tho
board viii perfec, it's plan of opera
tons aud will designate the part of
the sJOo,oO0 appropriation which will
be used for sidewalk paving, and the
npportionmcnts for grading. guttering.
paving and other divisions OF surface
work. The members have already
mapped out tentatively the working
program. and arc waiting only to as
certain how soon and in what amounts
the appropriation will become avail
able 10 perfect Il.
In furtherance of the general scheme.
The board entered an order yesterday
directing the City Engineer to make
survey and prepare plans pro;lcs
and estimates OF cost for the widening
10 uniform width OF not less than
nifty feet williamsburg Avenue from
Lewis TO Lester Street. The plans are
to provide for the raising OF the lower
part OF the street TO Il grade above
highest water and for the Improvement
OF the avenue between tho two streets
named with granite spall paving
HiG IMPROVEMENT TO
HE MADE IN EAST END
The Improvement OF WILLIAMSBURG
Avenue has long been in the mind OF
the board. and the new appropriation
VIII make the work possible III.
avenue is the main throughfarc lead
ing into the city from Fulton Hill and
the section beyond the National Gene
terry, and the need for its Improvement
has become pressing.
Members OF the board discussing tho
new paving program unohicially said
that considerable part Of the $500
coo appropriation will be used in con
structing sidewalks and cutters II
was estimated that about 100000 will
be devoted to this work The rest of
the appropriation Will be expended in
permanent street improvements in
many sections OF the city BIDS have
already been asked for pavu;. with
asphalt block Broad street between Jcf-
ferson and Laurel Streets.
The largest continuous stretch Of
paving now contemplated by the board
Will DC Oh the Boulevard from Broad
street 10 the park. |, viii probably he
given sheet paving similar TO the
bitulithic and asphaltic concrete pave
mcnt that have been laid on some OF
the residence streets in the West End.
In connection with the Improvement OF
the Boulevard, it is proposed To con
tinue tho smooth paving on Monument
Avenue from Robinson street to the
Boulevard. probably, for the sake Of
uniformity. with asphalt block
WILL ASK FOR bids
on LARGE QUANTITIES.
I'VE are trying TO >.or< out a den
mite plan IN order that we may lie
in position to ask for bids on II
large scale for practically the whole
work. said John llirschberc. ycstcr-
day. I'VE believe that we can effect
substantial saving by holding out
the prospect OF big contract II is
be willing to accept a smaller margin
of profit or a large contract than he
would on Il small one.
'''rhe city is paying now for asphalt
tic concrete paving $l.56 square
yard. ! believe il is possible TO re-
duce the price still further That can
only DO done, however, BY Offering a
large contract which viii enable the
bidder to put in effect economies that
would not be possible. perhaps. On
smaller job"
AR. IIlrschbcrS commented on the
observation of Mayor Preston of Bal
timorc. who said that Baltimore has
rejected asphalt block paving for gen
cral use because it was too expensive
and has adopted policy OF laying
sheet paving upon a formula prepared
by the city.
These are my Views exactly" said
Mr.. llirschbcrg. ''Whne aspahlt block
an dhillll dDle PAVING IL Is al
together too expensive. The same can
he said Of all patented pavings
whether in sheet or block. II is our
purpose to stop paying patcntccs
profits and 10 lay paving according
TO the CITY Engineers formula. We
are already doing this In our new
smooth paving WORK with asphaltic
concrete believe this policy will
later be adopted exclusively II Is the
most economical and gives the great
est benefit to the greatest number"
BECK GIVES APPROVAL
TO CTTY'S FORMULA.
Practically the same view Is held by
Henry i. Beck who has been an earn
est champion OF sheet paving, laid
according to city formula and not ac-
cording 10 allcgediy superior
formula protected by patent and more
expensive. When large contracts were
awarded last March to the Atlantic
Bitulithic Company for its patented
bitulithic paving, Mr.. Beck expressed
the belief that asphaltic concrete laid
I'm accordance with the City Engineers
specifications and at a much cheaper
price, would have served the city's
purpose fully as we'll.
CITY Engineer Eoli,nS has uniform
ly taken the same position At the
time of letting the March paving con
tracts he told the board that asphal-
tic concrete laid according to the
citSs specifications answered the pur-
pose as well as higher priced patented
paving.
y considerable portion OF the $500
GOO appropriation will be expended
upon smooth paving. Aside from the
paving on Broad street which will h. |
asphalt block, 1t will be almost cN-
clusivcly unpatented sheet paving
prepared according to the city's formu-
la. Bids will be inv,-cd upon spcciu- !
cations prepared by the City Engineer /
and the competition will be thrown /
open TO the world. 1t Is believed that
the next smooth paving contract let
by the Administrative Board will lie /
AT price considerably less than is
now paid.
As soon as the new Council is Or !
saniZed in September said Mr.. IIirsch- |
berg. the board Wiz again urge the /
tunncling of Fifteenth Street between !
Groad and Marshall Streets This |
would give direct connection between |
the downtown district and the Amcri- |
can Locomotive Works by way Of the
new avenue that VIII be constructed |
along the bed OF Shockoc Creek