The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-13
PARK AVE. VIADUCT
OPENS WEDNESDAY
So, 100000 Improvement to Be
New Traffic Artery North
and South.
BENEFIT TO FIFTH AVE.
Officials and Civic Bodies to
Parade Past Grand Central
in Celebration.
BENEFIT TO FIFTH AVE.

run for automobiles through the heart
OF tho city from Astor place to the
Harlem River.
Park avenue has been cut in two by
the Grand Central Terminal since the
old station of the New York Central
was built in 1869. The corner of Forty
second street and Park avenue was then
almost out in the woods. instead OF be-
ing as now one Of the great focal GEN.
tres. No one anticipated at that time
that the depot was splitting what was
destined to be ono Of the city's busiest
north and south thoroughfares, for such
1t will be by diverting much of the traf-
fc that now clogs Fifth and Madison
avenues. Indeed. 1t has been estimated
that 80 per cent. OF the traffic on those
two arteries of travel will now move
over to Park avenue because of the
elimination of congestion at Thirty
fourth street and Forty-second street by
the new route.
Not long after the Grand Central Ter
minal was built projects were started
for improving Park and Fourth avenues.
Streets were opened and closed and re-
located. but all attempts to improve
traffic conditions were nullihed because
of the apparently insurmountable obsta-
i
street and the depot at Forty-second
street. In the last fifteen years the
trouble became acute, and property own
ers. city officials and transportation men
fought bitterly. each from his own point
Of view, the various suggestions for re-
lieving the condition. The final plan,
that which is now to he put In opera
ton. Is really the result OF compromise,
and Is believed to be the best possible
solution OF the problem.
Work Pushed to Completion.
The actual work OF construction. or re-
construction as II might be termed, has
taken fifteen months. and to Borough
President Downing is given large share
OF the credit for pushing the work TO
quick conclusion. 1t has cost the city
s1,22o.932. the New York Central Rail-
road Sl.l31, $50, and the New York Rail-
ways Company sl50.00O.
The viadrct and the ramp will he
opened by parade in which city OFF,
Gals. property owners and various bust
ness and civic associations will take
part. They will ride in automobiles.
preceded by a band. from Thirty-second
street, where the ramp begins. through
Park avenue and over the viaduct. and
around the elevated concourse on the
west size OF the central.
The part OF the new roadway which
strikes tn casual eye most forcibly il.
OF course. the viaduct at Forty-second
street. Utility has been combined In
city structure here with unusual grace
and architectural beauty. The new VIA
duct. with It's long arches and curving
outlines. does anything but dctract from
the architectural values which surround
it. There was a tremendous cutlery when
the subject was first preached, because
hotel men and others who owned prop
erty there said it would greatly impair
their holdings. But as It now stands
It at one and the same time solves a
serious problem OF transportation and
Is good TO look upon
The first suggestion for the Viaduct.
which runs from F'ortieth street TO the
elevated concourse about the Grand Cen
trail Station. was for open arches OF
structural steel, but they now stand as
solid Orders. covered with masonry,
giving an impression OF great strength.
They conform to the architecture of the
station. with which they are more closely
associated than with any of the sur
rounding buildings
Ends hitter Controversies.
The practical value of the viaduot.
however depends altogether on the I'M
impressive ramp lower down the avenue
at Thirty-fourth street. and IL was about
this improvement that most OF the con-
fiict OF opinions ragged 1t was n hard
nut to crack. for every person interested
in it had different ideas as to what should
be done. Many OF the property owners
wanted the corner left alone.
The first suggestions which led to the
present plan we're made when George
! ILL., ID
was proposed to lower the grade Of
and Park avenue might cross at grade
Property owners and the street railway
officers protested this hotly. Proposals
to do away with the fortyfoot parkway
in the centre of Park avenue also We're
the subject of violent protest. Hotel
men said the viaduct further uptown
would ruin their business.
Finally William Barclay Parsons Of
fered the ramp at Thirtyfourth street as
a solution of the difficulty. and it was de-
cided to adopt this as the best way out
of the difficulty. 1t also was found that
by taking down the walls that fringed
the tunnel at Forty-fTst street and rails
ing the street car tracks there r. few
feet it would be possible to run Forty
first street across the avenue and elimi-
nate a barrier that had existed for years
Those are the main features of the plan
which is now completed.
Easier for PedeStrians Also.
Pedestrians who formerly had to
climb up and down the long flights Of
stairs at Thirty-fourth street, will have
a fifteen foot sidewalk that connects
Fourth avenue with Park avenue. The
, roadway is twenty-five feet wide. The
ramp has n grade of 90 per cent. and
also provides for opening Thirty third
street at grade as a thOroughfare by
the elimination of the barrier that had
existed for fifty years in the shape OF
a retaining wall at the beginning OF the
street car tunnel
To open Thirty-third street It was
necessary to raise the grade of both
the avenue and street at that point
about six and one-half feet. This has
resulted in increasing the grade OF the
| tunnel cut for the Fourth avenue cars
| at the point between Thirty-thirCh and
Thirty-fourth streets about per cent.
In the reconstruction work the west