The evening world., 1922-12-29
Will Be Longest Suspension
Structure in the World,
Whalen Says-Mammoth
Roadway Included.
Great Plaza Is Planned at
Astor Place - Brooklyn
Approach at North Third
and North Fifth Streets.

Commissioner whalen Of the De-
partment OF Plant and Structures to-
day submitted TO the Board OF Estl-
mate his plan for a new bridga
across the East River at a cost os
$4,000.
Commissl ,ner Whale. 4 plan win be
considered at next Wednesdays meet
Ing of the Committee Of the Whole OF
the Board OF Estimate and may tlien
be placed on the alendar for Fridays
regular meeting.
The location OF the bridge on tie
Manhattan side will be at Ninth
Street and plaza at Astor Place be.
tween Eighth and Ninth Streets.
On the Brooklyn side the approach
is to be at East River between North
Third and North Fifth Streets. with 4
plaza at Metropolitan Avenue and
Havomeyer Street.
There is also to be an approach
from the bridge 20 GreenpoI' with a
plaza at McCarren Park and ManhCt-
tan Avenue.
In his communication to Mayor
Hylan and the board. Commissioners
Whalen advises that the engineers OF
his department be directed to MAKE
studies looking toward the. rebuilding
OF tho Brooklyn Bridge and the
drawing OF preliminary plans for the
aforesaid new bridge.
Tho latte will primarily blow the
design of the Manhattan Bridge, being
IA three-span structure and the largest
span suspension bridge In the world.
The combined roadway width W'D bs
l1S feet, more than twice the Nidth
OF that OF the Manhattan Bridge.
The main span will be 1900 feet Ia
length. Brooklyn Bridge has a span
Of l.5s5. Manhattan Bridge. l.i70. and
Williamsburg Bridge. 1900 toet.
The new bridge is to have four We
hicular roadways-an upper central
roadway for motor trucks and ali
horse-drawn vehicles. east bound;
lower central roadway. west bound:
one upper side roadway for light
autos, east bound; one upper side
roadway for light autos. west bound.
There will he two foot walks. space for
two rapid transit tracks. space for
trackless trolley cars or autobuses.
In connection with the bridge there
will be a new boulevard 2O6 feet wide
from First Avenue to Fourth Avenue
between Eighth and Ninth Streets,
Manhattan. There Is to be a new di-
agonal street In Brooklyn from Brook
lyn Plaza to Bushwick Avenue at its
intersection with Scholes Street. This
is TO be 12O feet in width. Other
changes consist of the extension of
Meeker Avenue from present terminal
- Manhattan Avenue to the Bridge
Plaza az Metropolitan and Union Ave-
nues, so feet In width. Likewise there
Is 10 be an approach to Greenpoint
from North tifth Street TO Manhattan
and Nassau Avenues.
The marked increase In Vehicular
tratic over the big bridges which
makes a new structure necessary. was
thus explained to-day by Commis-
sioner Whalen:
"Over tho Williamsburg Bridge In q
24-hour period in 1919 the number oe
vehicles traversing the bridge was
5,924. In 1929 in the same period.
%, $40 vehicles used the bridge.
"This was an increase OF 500 per
cent. In ten years.
1.-THE 2i-hour vehicle trafiic over
the Manhattan Bridge in 1919 was
4,S2S. In 1922 1t was S7.66S. an In
crease OF 700 per cent"
"Tho !oca,!on cs the rev hrids4 has
given thi~ department much concern, 3"
says Commissioner Whalen. I'VE seal-
ize that before recommending to your
honorable board specific location
for bridge that this department must
be In Il position to defend Its recon-
mendationE, After the consideration Ce
al elementA that Antar into this sub