The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-05-23
VICTORY BRIDGE TO
BE GREAT ASSET
Will Make Valuable Link in Old Span
ish Trial Through West Florida

tSpeciaD--The Victory Bridge which
spans the Apalachicola river at this
point is one Of the largest construction
and engineering projects in this part
OF the state. Its completion is of in
terest to large part of the state be-
cause 1t is situated on the Old Spanish
Trial. which highway will be greatly
used by incoming and outgoing tour
lists when this important bridge is fin
ished.
Even at present there is considerable
tourist travel this way, besides the
large number of local cars that use the
highway, and the only means of cross
ing the river is a small ferry, which
does not operate in times of high wa
ter.
The Apalachicola river is consid-
cradle stream. 1t finds its source at
the Georgia Florida line by the con-
fluence of the Flint and Chattahoochee
rivers and empties it's great volume of
water into the Apalachicola bay on
the Gulf. The Victory bridge is the
only bridge for pedestrians and motor
vehicles that crosses this river for its
entire length. 1t will serve to bring
into closer contact the people of the
western counties of Florida with the
people of the other parts of the state.
The bridge wasi startedsin April, 1913
and 1t is expected that it will be fin
ished, except the approaches. sometime
this year, probably in October. The
work has been delayed many times by
high water. The river rises rapidly
and sometimes as much as fifteen or
fWpnfU foot in, Of IN: -
intereferes particularly with the work
of putting in the foundations of the
piers as the cofferdams are flooded
with water and then have to be pump
ed out again.
The structure is massive and the
material used is reinforced concrete.
1t will doubtless last many years The
rests upon nine great
pillars, whose foundations go down to
rock beneath the bottom of the river.
or else they are placed on billings
which are driven down to solid rock.
The rock stratum is nearer the surface
on the Gadsden county side of the riv-
er and some of the piers here set up
on the native rock. But this rock
stratum sloops downward at about
six per cent grade toward the jackson
county side of the river, hence the
piers nearer that side have to be set
on pilings.
These pilings have a steel shoe
weighing fifty pounds fitted to their
lower end and are driven. down to the
rock. All the great pillars are in po-
sition now except one, and the. Golfer
dams are in position and the pilings
for the foundation are being driven for
this one. At present high water is
interfering with the progress on this
last pier, but it is hopd to soon have
it completed.
Between tise pillars great concrete
arches are constructed ON which rests
the solid concrete floorings. Two
archways have been poured and the
forms are about ready to pour two
more. The concrete flooring has been
poured in one section and the forms
are ready to pour, the floor for another
section. Wood piling are used to sup
port the forms where the water is shall
low. but out over the deeper water a
special temporary arch of steel is used
to support the wooden forms into which
the concrete is poured. Sufficient of
the bridge is completed for one to get
Gil iuoo1 VI HOW II Will look when fin
ished. 1t will be massive, vet graceful
In its outlines and while not highly or
nate, yet a very beautiful structure.
Definite figures as to the cost are
not being given out at present, vet it
Is safe TO estimate that several hun
dred thousand dollars have been ex-
pended thus far in the section of this
bridge. However, it will be valuable
asset to the state and this particular
section and of great convenience to the
public.
The problem now to be solved in the
flnai completion of this bridge is the
approaches. It will not be such a diff
tlcult matter to provide for the APP
proach on the Gadsden county side.
but the approach on the Jackson coun-
~ side is quite a long one, approx
nately three thousand. six hundred
teet in length. The estimated cost of |
these approaches, according to tenta-
ave plans, is as follows: Fill on Gads- |
den county side, s11,60o: trestle on
Gadsden county side: $3.50: trestle
pm jackson county side $500 feet, |
sS1, $50; operators house. $4,000: ten
per cent of above for engineering and
s12.04S; total estimated
cost of approaches, $13252S.