Evening star., 1925-10-07
BRIDGES.

Your committee on bridges begs to
report that the District Of Columbia
, has been backward in bridge work, as
a result of which there are NUMBER
of bridges which need attention by
way of renewal. After rather con-
siderable investigation and in the
light of past experience. your COM
mittee would suggest that the Board
of Trade lend all of its efforts to bring
about q single result at the present
time rather than so dividing Its ef-
forts as to fail to produce the results
which we are all desiring. AS In the
past in order to more fully and COM
pletely cover the field in the District,
your committee divided itself into
number of subcommittee. each In
charge of a certain bridge. and the
conclusion reached as stated above
was unanimously agreed to in the
committee.
The Chain Bridge.-Your committee
has for a number of years recon-
mended the replacement of the pres
ent structure. which is entirely in
adequate for modern traffic. While
YOUR committee had before 1t other
and deserving projects. such AS the
resurfacinc of the Highway Bridge
and the replacement of the klinsle
Ford Bridge, it unanimously agreed
that the most urgent single project
in the District of Columbia was the
replacement of the Chain Bridge. AS
we have reported before. the bridge.
as it now stands, is of the old sus.
pension type and. while vibration
must be expected from a bridge of
this type. it has become really alarm
ing from the use of the heavy We
hicles which must of necessity pass
over the structure to and from the
sections OF Virginia that supply
great deal of farm produce to the
District and are a direct connection
with the Shenandoah Valley.
Bearing in mind the time neces-
sary to produce a result Of this kind,
we urge upon every member of the
board to assist us In every way that
he can to produce a result in this
undertaking.
While we urge the board. in view
of the fact that Il is impossible to
obtain more than one bridge this year,
to rally to the Chain Bridge move
ment. Yet, nevertheless. we cannot but
recommend that some constructive
building plan be entered into whereby
one by one all of the present made
quate bridges may be replaced.
''klingle Ford Bridge.-For years
our committee has recommended a re-
placement of this bridge. The lament.
y
brought IT'S condition to public atten-
ton. The bridge should be the next
in the District after the Chain Bridge
to receive the proper attention. Like
the Chain Bridge. it was built to ac-
commodate traffic of an entirely differ
ent character from that which now
uses it, and the present development
of the country Immediately surround
ing it would warrant the replacement
of the bridge with one which should
be useful, safe and at the same time
beautiful.
Calvert Street Bridge e--This bridge
is one of the most used in the Dis
trict. 1t Is surrounded by the highest
type of improvements, and yet the
bridge itself is an old iron structure,
which it has been found necessary to
make narrower in order to make the
same safe for pedestrians and vehicu
lar traffic. AS it is, the street cars
and automobiles have to use virtually
the same trackage, by reason of the
narrovness of the roadway. making
both an unsafe condition and one en-
tirely out of harmony with it's sur
roundings. The beautiful Connecticut