The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-29
V|ADUCT PROGRAM
 COMES UP BEFORE TW0 C0NFE ERENCES
Three Railroad Presidents And Their Engineers To
 Talk With City

Three railroad presidents and their chief engineers of construction will be in conference with Birmingham city officials this week to discuss and pass final judgment on the crea- tion of additional facilities of com munication between the south and section now divided by the lines of the railways.
 Monday will see the conference of
 the city and railway construction engineers. and Wednesday the mem- bers of the city commission will hold executive session with the presidents of the roads.
 With Blrmingham's city engineer, A. J. Hawkins. there will meet Mon
 day l.. L. Morton of Lsuisville. Ky. special engineer of the Louisville and Nashville railroad; R. D. Tobien of ern railway, and H. R. Artman Of Atlanta, district engineer of the Sea-
 board Airline railroad.
 Wednesday of this week President D. E. McLendon and City Commis- sioners w. L. Harrison, w. B. Cloe, meet with President w. l.. Mapother of the Louisville and Nashville rail- road; Vice President R. B. Pegram ot the Southern, and President w. L. Stanley of the Seaboard. They will
 discuss the financing of the under taking the engineers will decide on Monday.
 Concrete Results Expected.
 It is generally believed the out come of the two conferences will re- suit in the construction of viaduct
 over the railroads and connecting south and north Twenty fourth
 initely known what the outcome will be.
 In time. the city expects to see the right-of-way of the railroads
 raised from a point near Twenty
 second street, gradually rising west
 ward to height that will allow
 Eighteenth, Seventeenth and other westward streets to pass under the lines. This method of procedure has it's model in the entrance of the ! Reading railroad into Philadelphia. All persons who have visited there
 structure terminating at Market street in the Reading station. The trains there are brought into the heart of the city passing along a raised way or yiaduct under which pass scores of Philadelphia streets. The Reading railway viaduct is one 1 of the oldest in the United States and similar plans have been adopted by many cities. This Is the ideal form of construction because. built of stone or concrete. the first expense is the last.
 | Vinduct Is Seen.
 Provided the desired track eleva-
 tion fails to materialize, the erection
 of an additional viaduct. similar to l that at the junction of south and 1 north Twenty first streets, is looked for. As it is not probable that rais-
 ing the railroads east of Twentieth
 street will be undertaken for many years. the present solution of the problem of relieving congestion on overloaded thoroughfares crossing | the railroads, is said to be 1nstalla- ton of an additional viaduct for | street traffic.
 ton, real estate men who have
 helped build the city, former city of ficials who have wrestled with the sa me problem men interested in real izing the present congestion. all be- lieve the engineers will choose
 Twenty fourth street. One Of the chief reasons for believing Twenty
 fourth street will be selected Is that viaduct there will do much to re- lieve the traffic congestion, the
 thing the city wants; and 1t will eliminate an existing, dangerous and to be avoided grade crossing. the thing that most interests the raii- roads in the subject.
 The matter Is nothing new. city engineers have wrestled with 1t and planned for 1t for many years The railroads have been approached on
 the subject again and again. Save
 for the cost of materials and costs entailed in condemning the necessary property, at present values, both city and railways have been aware for
 considerable time of just what the cost will be.
 Another departure the question
 may take Is delay. The Twenty fourth street viaduct may be post poned to make room for a guarantee of track raising west of Twentieth street in the course of the next year or so. That contingency has been considered ..
 It is tactily understood that IT quick action is imperative, viaduct' most probably at Twenty-tourth street, is the answer.