The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-04-08
BIC WATER PIPE AND CONDUITS IN
 WAY OF BRIDGE Commissions Scheme to Shift Old Structure
 Meets Obstacles. DISSATISFACTION AT PROGRAM OF SECRECY Memories of Keystone Con- struction Co.," Revived By
 Bridge Builders.

Because north of the present piers of the Stratford avenue bridge lies the $3O,000 pipe line of the Bridge port Hydraulic Co.,, and also on the north side of the piers lie the cost ly conduits through which telephone and telegraph communication is pos sibIe, it may be impossible for the engineers of the Stratford avenue bridge to move the present structure so that communication may be kept open while the new bridge is build ing.
 The action of the bridge commis- sion holding many secret sessions and in refusing to divu1ge their doings to the. public have Involved as much unfavorable criticism as did the con tract with the Keystone Construction Co, who built the Yellow Mill draw bridge.
 On request of the company, al- though none of it's officers are men tioned,2 Mayor Wilson signed a waiver giving a contract to Sprague & Henwood. Inc, of Scranton, Pa, for the boring work for the piers without competitive bidding. The proposal price is $2.75 per linear foot or $1,375 for the entire job. Mayor Wilson signed the waiver on the ground that expediency is the re- quisite for the job, rather than pub lie necessity for the lowest price of responsible firm for good work. 5 mission are: William p. Allen, Wal ter B. Lashar, James Coulter, R. H. Murphy and Charles B1ackhan, sec, retary.
 Although the common council at last meeting ratified con- tract which the Stratford avenue bridge commission desired to make with the Sprague & Henwood Go. for borings for the piers for the new bridge. there is a possibility that the work, may be delayed much longer ! until another plan can be worked out for providing a, passage over the PeQuonnock river at Stratford ave
 nue while the bridge is building. The plan of the engineers J. B. Greiner and Ezra. B. Whitman of BalttmorH, is to move the old bridge north of the 1 present piers and keep 1t open for foot and vehicular traffic expect troll ley cars until the new bridge is conn p1eted
 Just how they will be able to car
 ry out that plan. is a. problem which now confronts the bridge engineers
 The bridge commission rejecting the
 plans of the City Plan commission has decided that the new bridge
 ought to cross the river on a line with the present structure at a width of l so feet with a 60 foot roadway and
 10 0Yfoot sidewalks on either side. As regards the construction of the bridge
 whether it shall .ebe steel or concrete
 the contract which the common coun- cil is asked to ratify, does not state.
 The commission does desire how l ever that the approaches of the bridge, Fairfield avenue rom Main i street to the bridge and Stratford avenue from Kossuth street to the
 bridge shall be widened.
 I Today surveyors and engineers in l the employ of the engineers for the 1 bridge commission were at work at I the. point in the Pequonnock river l where the Stratford avenue bridge
 now crosses. The bridge engineers
 are not in sympathy with any plan ] to widen John street or with the plan l to widen or extend Cannon street. They did favor however, the plan to widen Fairfield aven1e and Stratford d
 avenue at the approaches to the l bridge.
 I The engineers believe thac a suit able bridge and one that will last for I many years to come can be built with
 the bond issue of $4OO.0OO.