The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-22
ASK CITIZENS.
 ID AID PLANS .FOR V|ADUCTS
McLendon Calls Conference for Friday Morning to Go Over $1,000,000 Prof.
 ect-Meet Railroad
 Heads Next Month

Preliminary draft of plans for Birmingham5s $1,000,000 viaduct program will be discussed by the city commission with committee of representative citizens at con ference Friday morning at the city hall, D. E. McLendon, president of the commission, announced We'd nesday. This conference will pre- cede one with representatives of railroads to be affected, projected later.
 A. J. Hawkins, city engineer, working under instructions from MT. McLendon, has been busy for more than six weeks making de- tailed cost estimates and drawing specifications for two viaducts, one on the Southside costing approxi- mately $450,000 and one on the Northside costing approximately $550,000. This data will be pre- sented to the railroad representa- tives at a meeting to be called some time next month, according to plans announced in January. Citizens Asked to Attend.
 Citizens invited to attend the con ference Friday are 0. L. Bum, Joseph Loveman, George c. whatley, Frank Rushton, J. T. Doster, R. G. Hershey. R. A. Porter. B. F. Moore. w. " Walker R. EI Chadwick. Frsdericl J. Thompson and Victor Hanson. City Attorney w. J. Wynn and City Engi- neer A. J. Hawkins arc also to at tend. though MT. Hawkins was in Al bany Wednesday and not expected to return until Saturday.
 Following a conference peuween tha commission and representatives of the Frisco, Seaboard and Birmingh Belt railroads January 6, it was an nounced at the city hall that the in- itial viaduct program, calling for con- struction of two viaducts, would be presented in definite form for final action to the city commission and the railroads interested within three months.
 Exact location of the vIaducts. other than one would be placed on the Southside and the other on the Northside, has not yet been deter mined. Property holders on streets under discussion are expected to present arguments favoring crossings favorable to their interests from time to time before final adoption of the viaduct program. Checks on North- side traffic. submitted at the Janu- ary conference by the city engineer, showed that it was heaviest at Nine teenth and Twenty sixth street On the Southside. Twenty third and Twenty fourth streets are being fav- orably considered, it Is understood. Frisco Announcement.
 The conference January resulted in no definite agreements as to via ducts by the railroads. It did, how ever result in announcement by the Frisco railroad that it would remove its roundhouse. tracks and equipment from Ninth avenue, north, to East Thomas. At the same time E. M Mohler, superintendent of terminals for the road here, announced that switching facilities in Birmingham would be doubled at cost of $500,- 900. Roundhouse capacity at East Thomas will be double that of the present equipment, which handles only 10 engines. All this work is to be done in 1923, the freighthouse go- ing to Powell avenue In 1924.
 It is understood that the date for the conference with railroad repre- sentatives depends upon progress made at the citizens conference with the city commission Friday. The con ference is set for 10 o'clock in the morning.