The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-01-19
BENNETT ASKS
 FOR BRIDGES OF CONCRETE
Highway Commissioner Al.
 so Requests a Mainten- @ ance Fund.

| S~A4SS = SAAASAs
 The following report on the inves tigation regarding the condition o1 bridges on trunk line highways ir the state was presented to the Gen. eral Assembly, yesterday by Highway :, Commissioner Charles J. Bennett: "The undersigned highway com missioner, as directed by Chapter l 249 of the Public Acts of 1915, makes the following report as to his inves- tigation on the condition of all bridges on trunk line highways of a greater span than twenty-five (25) 1 feet together with an estimate of the
 cost of such of these bridges which should be constructed immediately because the present structures are in 1 poor condition, and an estimate of the cost of yearly maintenance o1
 the remainder.
 "An investigation of all bridges has l been made and the bridges measured l and listed with information regard 1 ing the span type of bridge and de- I tails in connection herewith.
 No reference, is made in this re- port to culverts and bridges of less span than twenty-five (25) feet since 1 these bridges are taken care of out of the Trunk Line Repair account being considered as a part of high l way construction. In some cases spe- cial arrangements are made with the | towns when there is necessity for greater widths or more ornamental structures.
 The total number of bridges on trunk line highways under the Juris- diction of the state highway com missioner, as provided under Chop ter, 250 of the Public Acts of 1915 and Chapter 26S of the Public Acts kof 1915, is dred-ninety-one. This total number includes all bridges on trunk line highways ex- cepting those entirely within cities or towns of ten thousand 100000 inhabitants, and excepting all bridges built or maintained under the. pro-
 visions of Special Acts but includes
 the Saybrook- Lyme and the East
 Haddam- -Haddarn toll bridges, which
 (while built under the provisions of
 Special Acts) are included in bridges
 under the supervision of the state
 highway department by Chapter Z6o
 of the Public Acts of 1915. It must
 be. understood also that there are several bridges excluded by the above provisions because they are not lo-. cated on the trunk line system or. which still remain either in the hands' of bridge districts or under the .su- pervision of the county commission
 CTS. Such bridges built and main taired under Special Acts, which are
 located oa trunk lines, are the Hart
 ford bridge over the Connecticut
 river and the Portland bridge over
 the Connecticut river. Y
 During the past two years many
 of the trunk line bridges have been
 improved ,put of funds appropriated
 under Chapter 250 of the Public Acts
 of 1915. Section z, while others have
 been maintained as provided in the same act A certain number ofAthese trunk line bridges, however, are in imperative need of replacing; name
 ly, bridge located in Branford, Bridgewater, Brooklyn, Canaan-Salis- bury, Clinton Madison, Colchester, Colebrook, Cornwall, Pennington, Litchfield- d-Harwinton,> Seymour, Sher- man, Thomaston, Wilton and Vest brook.
 "The estimated cost of the states proportion. of the construction of these bridges is $10,00O00 and re- quest for this amount has been made to the state board of finance with the state highway departments budget.
 '.It will be seen that the above list does not include the so-called Wash ington Bridge between Stratford and Milford over the Housatonic river. .'In addition to the above list of bridges, there is immediate necessity for constructing a bridge across the Housatonic river between Milford and Stratford, as mentioned above The present bridge located between these towns is entirely inadequate for the travel, both as to width and ca pacity to carry tn loads which pass over it.
 k Nhe bridge at present saccommo- dates a single track trolley line To- cated to one side of the center and has room for only one line of ve- hicles passing a trolley car which causes frequent congestion. The fact that the trolley line passing over this bridge is the one between Bridgeport and New Haven, serving shore re- sorts, makes the summer travel ex- tremely heavy and with trolley cars which are overloaded there is the danger to passengers both from the superstructure of the bridge and from passing vehicles.
 In addition to this fact, the bridge was designed and constructed at the time when highway loads were com paratively small and this fact in con- junction with the deterioration of the bridge (due to the length of time which it has existed) makes the structure of questionable strength for heavy loads. Attention has been called previously to the necessity for constructing bridges strong enough to carry extremely heavy loads. It is evident that the Boston Post Road, upon which this bridge is' To- cated, will be subjected to greater and greater concentration of heavy motor vehicles as time goes on and in the opinion of the engineers who have examined it, this bridge has reached it's limit of usefulness and 1 consequently must be renewed.
 'Plan and estimate of the cost of l this bridge has been prepared where in it is assured that this bridge will | be built under Chapter 250 of the Pu1eH!:e Acts of 1915 and that the l counties of New Haven and Fair field will contribute one-third of the l cost, that the Connecticut company l will contribute one-third of the cost, | leaving the state to pay the remain | ing one-third. The estimated cost of | bridge of suitable, and Dermanent |