Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-16
ARLINGTON BRIDGE
WORK TAKES FORM
Pier Above Water, District
Abutment Progressing.
Rapid Procedure Seen.

| With the completion of Pier No. l
Of the Arlington Memorial Bridge
| above the water level in the Potomac
River, and the removal of the Golfer
| dam which has held back the water,
! the bridge structure is beginning to
| take on such an appearance that the
| passing layman may get some idea
of the progress of the work. This
| pier is the first to he completed above
The water line and as soon rs several
feet more Of concrete are laid and
faced with granite this structure Will
be completed In the meantime work
| is going forward on other piers.
While it has taken about six
months to complete the first pier, it
was pointed out that the others are
not expected to take that long be-
cause the forces employed will be bet
ter organized and can proceed faster.
Mai Joseph G.. Mehaffey, Army
Engineer Corps, in charge of the con-
struction of the bridge, said that the
Government is still proceeding on the
theory that the bridge proper will be
completed by 1880. Plans are being
drawn now for the contracts for the
bascule bridge and superstructure and
it is expected that the latter will be let
some time in the Summer, at which
time ii is believed that the contractor
engaged in erecting the river piers
and shore abutments will have com
pleted his work as far as the site of
the draw over the channel.
Abutment Is Progressing.
The Potomac Park abutment near
the Lincoln Memorial, is progressing
satisfactorily and now is about 20
feet below the surface of the ground
at this point. Work on this is being
carried on simultaneously with the
river pier work.
Pier No. 2 in the river also is near
ing completion, and it WIFI not be
many months before this is above the
water line, which will permit the with
drawal of the cofferdam for use on
another pier. AT the present time
Workmen are engaged in sinking
coneFdam around the site for Pier
No. 3, using the material being taken
from around Pier No for the work.
1t is now believed that all Of the
work on the substructure will be
completed during the current calendar
year, but at the same time work on
the superstructure will not have to
wait until all the former is completed.
The contracts for the granite have
been let. That for the substruct,lre.
which is to be faced with Stone Noun.
TAIN Ga. granite, now is arriving at
the storage yard on the Virginia
shore, and plans now are being made
for the construction of 5000 additional
feet Of railroad siding for the recep-
ton OF the Mount Airy. n. C., granite,
which is to be used to face the super
structure, so that contractors will not
be delayed in any way on this account
Plans Being Drawn.
The detailed plans and specifications
for the bascule bridge now are being
drawn by the j. g. Strauss Bascule
Bridge Co, of Chicago, which was the
successful competitor out of six for
the work Of designing this bridge. As
soon as these are completed, bids will
be asked to supply the fabricated
steel TO be used in the construction.
In this connection, 1t has been decided
that no attempt will be made to face
this steel part of the bridge with
granite. It was pointed out that there
Is no use in trying to camoufiage a
steel structure to make it appear as
granite. All that it is hoped to do is
to make 1t conform to the appearance
of the remainder of the bridge. The
sides of the bascule will be covered
with ornamental iron, designed to CON
form to the general designs of thu
bridge, and this will be painted white.
The contract for the superstructure
will be let in AN entirety, although 1t
will be awarded when half the piers
are completed TO the draw span abut-
ment. BY the time the superstructure
contractor completes his task to this
point, 1t is believed that the other
piers will have been completed, and
he then may proceed on the Virginia
side. the bascule bridge contractors
starting work as soon as the draw
span abutments are completed.