The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-12-18
new BELT LINE GRADE
ELIMINATION PLAN UP
Assistant City Engineer Hawkins May
Have 1t Ready For Mondays
Meeting.

A new plan for the elimination of
grade crossing at the Belt Line. SUBJ
mitted as a compromise between the
Hankins and the Myers plans, meets
approval OF Commissioners Henry p.
Beck, of the Administrative Board; Of
Chairman Whittet, of the board, and
of Engineer Harry Frazier, represent
ing the Richmond, Fredericksburg
and Potomac Railroad Company. This
plan. which has been placed in the
hands of Assistant City Engineer
Hankins for preparation. will prob
ably be ready for submission to the
Council Street Committee for it's con-
sideration at it's meeting Monday
night,
The agreement reached between
Commissioner Beck and Engineer
Frazier regarding the grade tor the
Belt Line tracks and the extension
of Monument Avenue and other
thoroughfares to the west OF the city
viii be ratified 1t is believed, by both
the city and the railroad company
Save Railroad About $4,000.
The new plan the railroad COM
pany stands TO save some $4,000 in
the elimination OF grade crossing ana
still have, Il Is said, an Improvement
over the Myers plan. which had met
with the company's approval The
city will also benefit by the new plan,
1t is Niid, in that it Will have the ad-
vantages afforded by streets, extend
ing west beyond the city limits, cross
ing the railroad tracks at their natural
grade. which they would not have
possessed under The operation of the
Myers plan.
The. Myers plan raised the grade
Of Monument Avenus about nine feet
at The Belt Line crossing and this. 1t
was declared. would have Impaired
realty values along the avenue and
spoiled the appearance Of houses built
higher in front than in the rear.
Under The new. or Frazier. plan, IT il
said by Commissioners Beck, there will
be $4,000 less cubic feet of earth
taken out OF the cut for lowering the
grade OF the tracks than under the
Myers plan. The Frazier plan, he
says, will give as much clearance to
the tracks, despite the difference in
the size of the cut
Avoids Expensive Cut.
This IS due. Mr.. Beck saNs to the
! fact that MIR. Frazier had taken ad-
, 1919 81 VI Wv toE1St VI the tHNu
lard has avoided deep. expensive cut
near the river. which proved to he one
Of the chief objections to the Hankins
plan
Under the Frazier p1sn the district
Will drain chief, into Johns Creek
Gphaus Brook aud thence into the
thiekahominy. and also into the James
from summit farther AWAY from the
James than In the Myers plan TN
der the Hankins plan, the district
drained all the way from Acca into
the James and this necessitated a deep
cut near the river
Engineer Frazier WAS formerly
chief engineer for the c. & O. Railway
Company and is regarded as one of
the best In his profession. The Chesa-
peake and Ohio viaduct IL one OF his
works.
Commissioner Beck believes there
will be no need for outside experts
to add their intelligence to the work
tn hand
Engineer Harry Frazier and my
self have come TO an agreement which
lis approved by Chairman Whittet."
said Mr.. Beck yesterday. which. 7
think, will be ratified by the board
II does not call for any outlay by the
-city and cuts down the amount which
the railroad company would have to
expend under the Hankins' plan"