Perth Amboy evening news., 1915-05-12
ENGINEERS GIVE
. REPORT ON CITY
R. R. CROSSINGS
5000, 900 by Depression and
About 100000 by EIeva-
ton is Reported Cost.
ALDERMEN PLAN FIGHT
viii be Well Armed With Maps
and Engineering When at
Crossing Hearing.
ACTION ON NEXT FRIDAY
Aldermen are Likely to Meet
Again Tomorrow Night or
on Friday Morning.
ACTION ON NEXT FRIDAY

IL VIII cost approximately 39UU, UUU
| to eliminate FIVE railroad grade cross
ings in this city by depression, and
about 100000 by elevation, it was
reported by engineers to the alder
| men at conference following the
adjourned meeting last night City
Surveyor Samuel ]. Mason and asso-
ciate engineers, representatives of the
General Contracting & Engineering &
Company, said elevation of tracks
was favored because it concurred
most with the ideas of railroad engi-
neers, involved no drainage perplexi-
ties and involved but little cost to the
city. The engineers reported that
the depression, which was held to be
really but semi-depression of tracks,
would cost the city $4,000, while
elevation of tracks would cost the
city but $4,000. The aldermen did
not adopt either plan, but deferred
action until special meeting is held
tomorrow night.
The aldermen propose to go well
fortified with maps and engineering
information before the Board of
Public Utility Commissioners when a
hearing is held in the commission S
room in Newark, commencing at
1890 o'clock Friday morning. Upon
the suggestion of City Attorney
Andrew ]. Wight, it is likely that the
aldermen will adopt either or both of
the forms of elimination, most likely
at a special meeting which is pro-
posed for tomorrow night. 1t is bare
ly possible that the aldermen may
call a special meeting instead when
they assemble Friday morning to go
to Newark, and adopt the best means
| of grade change at that time.
The city is fighting to have grade
crossings eliminated on the Central
and Lehigh Valley lines at Washing
ton street, New Brunswick avenue,
I Smith street and Market street. For
the past several months city officials
have been expressing themselves as
favoring depression of tracks. The
| engineers have figured out a plan
whereby the Central tracks could be
depressed from point near where
the Pennsylvania tracks intersect the
| line and the New York & Long
Branch railroad bridge. The process
would cut down the height of the
| Hall avenue bridge, cause the Lehigh
| Valley tracks to remain about where
they are, to bring Washington street
across by means of a viaduct, raise
| New Brunswick avenue but about a
foot, Smith street about five feet and
Market street about nine feet.
The CentraPs deepest cut under
this mode of elimination would be be-
tween Washington street and New
Brunswick avenue. The cut would
| gradually reduce up to the beginning
| of the railroad bridge. Engineers
have pointed out that the so-called
| "bulges'' in streets, which it would
appear would result at Smith and
Market streets, would not amount to
much. as the grade would rise and
decline gradually. This method OF
grade changing will cost the rail-
roads about 100000.
Through the elevation plan con-
crete structures would be erected at
the street crossings and the tracks
would be elevated on foundations
similar to those now in use here.
Smith and Market streets would be
depressed about four feet to permit
traffic to go under the tracks; there
would be an eight or nine-foot cut IN
the street at New Brunswick avenue
and a depression of thirteen feet at
washington street. The Washington
street sidewalks would not be
brought down so far, however. The
Lehigh Valley tracks would be raised
about two feet at the crossing, caus-
ing the necessity of raising the Le-
high Valley track system for a dis
tance of half a mile in order to obtain
a proper grade to the coal docks. The
New Brunswick avenue grade cross
ing of the Lehigh Valley railroad can
be eliminated by raising the street
fifteen feet, engineers stated. This
grade would be graduated in a
stretch from a point west of Amboy
avenue to a point east of Prospect
street and continuing around into
Prospect street.
Continued on page %