The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-11-24
PROJECT GIVEN
FULLAPPROVAL
U. S. ENGINEER
Government Approval
Is Expected Within
Few Weeks, Says
LOder.

The three and a half mile
Ferry Pass bridge across Escam-
bia river is a certainty. The
project statement will be imme-
diately submitted to the federal
government, carrying the ap-
prOval of United States District
Engineer A. E. LOder, and fed
eral approval of the project is
expected within two or three
weeks.
This emphatic statement was made
to The journal by Mr.. Loder on his
return to Pensacola yesterday from
an inspection of the proposed bridge
site. He was accompanied on the
inspection trip by State Highway
Engineer William r. Cooke and a
party of state and county engineers
and officials.
When the approval of the federal bu-
reau of public roads is received. the state
road department will submit specific
plans, and bids on the bridge will be
asked The date of beginning actual
work on the structure. therefore, will
depend upon the length of time required
by the state engineers 10 complete the
plans.
This bridge. to be erected on what is
known as state road No. /, will complete
the bridge program on the Old Spanish
trail in Florida and viii mean a direct
highway between Pensacola and Jack
sonville.
over Three Miles Long.
According to State Eengineer Cooke,
the cost of the project will be somewhat
under 100000 though exact estimates
4ff@ q
out. The bridge will be approximately
three and a half miles long, including
1900 feet of fill, 700 feet of steel struc-
ture, including the drawbridge, and
about 1000 feet of creosoted timber tres
tie, with a 20-foot roadway over the
open water. The fill will have 35-foot
crown and will be protected by Wake
field sheet pilng.
The progress made so far is very
good news" declared State Engineer
Cooke last night, but the best news OF
all will be the advertisements for bids
on the bridge"
Expects Prompt Approval.
Federal Engineer Loder, who was ac-
companied from Montgomery to Pen
sacola by Charles d. Snead, L. S senior
bridge engineer Of the bureau OF public
roads, declared that he contemplated no
difficulty in securing the governments
approval of the project, and stated most
emphatically that the bridge had been
given the unqualified endorsement Of his
office
Capt. J. Z. Turtle L. S assistant en-
gineer, representing the war department
in this vicinity, gave the highway engi-
neers the benefit Of his observations dur
ing his long experience in the waters in
this locality at Il conference last night
at the San Carlos hotel Captain Turtle
is stationed ut Fort Pickcns and has
charge Of all the harbor and waterway
work i'm this war department sub-dis-
trict. Following the conference. the en-
gineers declared That th" information
given by Captain Turtle will doubtless
prove Of value in preparing for the
erection of the brdg".
Members of Party.
The party returned to Pensacola yes
tcrday from two-day inspection trip
on the Escambia river. Besides Federal
Engineer Lodor and State Engineer
Cooke. oth'r members Of the party were
Il. l.. Baunerman, division engineer Of
the state road department; George L.
Derrick bridge engineer Of the state de-
partment; Charles d. Snead, division en-
gineer Of the federal bureau; w. L..
Wheat, Escambia county highway engi-
neer; G. II. OVcrman, Santa Rosa cOun-
ty highway engineer; Assistant Engi-
neer Howe Of the Louisville &, Nashville
railroad; J. NJ. Harrington and Fl. +.
Candy, Escambia county commissioners,
and j. i. Keen, chairman of the Santa
Rosa county board Of commissioners.
r. J. Allen of Floridatown escorted
the party around in q boat and served
them with dinner at the FIorldatowu
hotel yesterday.