The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-04-28
City Engineer Says Bridge
Proposal Is TeChniCaIity
to Postpone Work on
Tracks for at Least Two
Year Period.

South side residents VINO nope IN
the near future to obtain unob-
structed intercourse with the rest
of the city through elevation of
tracks Of the Indianapolis Belt Rail-
road are doomed to disappointment
unless Belt railroad officials forego
their present tactics Of delay. II. G.
Wray, city track elevation engineer,
said today.
Upon construction of the proposed
81, 800, 900 bridge across White River
near Raymond St.. depends the
start of the entire elevation project,
including crossings over all i'm
portant intersecting streets from w.
Washington st. in a long semi-circle
to keystone Ave.
Belt railroad officials, while adj
hitting that the elevation proposal
can not be commenced until bridge
has been built. because lowest point
Of elevation would be at that point,
have stated it will be impossible to
draft plans for the bridge this year,
according to Wray. Should the
board of works submit to the post
ponement, elevation would not start
for two and one-half years at the
earliest time. because estimated
time for construction If the bridge
is two years.
Settlement Postponed
Meanwhile, railroad companies,
owing the city $1,500,000 for eleva-
ton projects completed in the past.
have obtained postponement Of date
for final settlement until May %.
Board Of works, which was to meet
railroad representatives Monday,
granted postponement at request Of
Big Four Railroad. because rep
resentatives Of that company were
said to be in New York. The Big
Four~line was able to obtain re-
duction OF $780, 900 in estimated debt
to city some time ago. Other COM
panies affected are the Indianapolis
Union Railway. Lake Erie & West
ern and Illinois Central.
"Postponement until May % Is
positively the deadline for settlement
Of this controversy" said Charles
f. Coffin, president OF the board Of
works. today. "If agreement can.
not be obtained on that date. we
shall take up the matter through
the courts"
Informal Conferences
Informal conferences between city
engineers, employees of the board of
works and representatives Of the
railroads involved will be held at
various times before May 25 to at
tempt to reach understandings,
| Wray said.
While Belt officials ponder the
question Of whether plans for the
proposed bridge can be started. r..
w. Cassidy, flood prevention enei-
neer, is drafting plans under au-
thority provided by the flood pre-
vention law by which construction
Of bridge Is authorized without pro-
vision as to who shall pay for a..
1.-THE Belt has raised straw man
in bringing up this bridge matter
as a reason for delay in elevating
the tracks but we are doing orr best
to knock it down" Wray declared.
Suit will be filed to determine who
shall pay for the bridge, if Belt
officials persist in moves leading 10
obstru lion Of plans" Wray said.
Il espite fact that track elevation
has been under discussion for rlany
months, Belt Railroad has taken no
steps to finance the project toward
which 1t must pay one-half the cost.
amounting to $7,OO0,0O0 and the mat.
ter of finance has not been con-
sidered by its board Of directors,
Wray said