Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-07
VIRGINIA CANNOT
SHARE BRIDGE COST
State Denies Obligation in
Replacement of Chain
Structure.

The hope Of District officials that
Virginia would share in the cost of
replacing Chain Bridge, which. prob.
ably will be closed within the next few
weeks because of the deteriorated con-
dition of it's south aoutment, faded
completely today when Representative
Moore submitted to Engineer Com.
missioner William B. Ladue a letter
from Fl. c. Shirley. chairman of the
Virginia state Highway Commission,
to the effect that there is no legal or
equitable ground for expecting the
State to incur any liability in the up
keep or reconstruction of the bridge.
Mr.. Shirley's letter was written to
Mr.. Moore, who conferred with Com
missioner Ladue regarding the condi-
ton of the bridge and the plans for
it's replacement. Mr.. Moore also urged
that an appropriation for reconstruc-
ton Of the bridge be sought at the
forthcoming session of Congress and
promised to use his influence in
having it granted.
Same as Highway Bridge.
"Never at any time, until recently,
has 1t been proposed or suggested that
there is any legal or equitable ground
for expecting the State of Virginia to
share any liability incident to the
upkeep of the bridge or it's reconstruc-
tion," said Mr.. Shirley's letter.
1.-THE conditions are substantially
identical to those pertaining to the
new Highway Bridge, which has been
built and is maintained independently
of the State of Virginia. When that
bridge was constructed, the Govern
ment acquired strip of land south
OF the river over which the
Washington Richmond Highway an.
proaches the bridge and this was
done for the purpose of giving the
Federal Government the unques-
toned right to protect the bridge at
both ends and facilitate its use.
Should the Government desire to
take like action relative to the
southern approach to the Chain
Bridge, l assume that there would
be no objection. But that is quite
q different thing from the idea that
we should or can engage in the re-
construction work.
Roads Cost Much.
"Of course it goes without saying
that the bridge is important not only
to the people of the District Of Column
States, who, travelling through the
District Of Columbia, make use of it,
but to large public south of the
Potomac River. 1t is not to be over.
looked. however, that hard surfaced
roads have been and are being pro-
vided in Virginia. calling for a very
heavy outlay, which take care of
travel to and from the bridge to the
advantage as much of the District of
Columbia as the State of Virginia,
and thus say that the equities of the
case are as strongly against the con-
tention with which we are now con-
fronted as the legal considerations"
Mr.. Moore emphasized that the clos
ing Of the bridge would destroy the
only direct access from Washington
to Great Falls. by automobile.
The conference followed a personal
inspection of the bridge and it's de-
Perforated south abutment early this
morning by Commissioner Ladue, AS.
sistant Engineer Commissioner H. C..
Whitehurst and representatives of the
District Bridge Department. The Of
f1cials boarded a police patrol boat and
went to the bridge and made a close
examination Of the abutment, which
has cracked in several places and
given rise 70 fears for the safety OF
the bridge. =
AbutElont Moves Outward.
While the inspection party found no
new cracks in the abutment, they
manifested grave concern over its con.
dition, especially in view of a report
submitted to Capt. Whitehurst by the
Bridge Department yesterday after
noon showing that the abutment had
moved one-siXteenth Of an inch out.
ward since the last measurements
were made, June 81.
There is little doubt that the bridge
will be closed to traffic within the next
few weeks. The Commissioners have
been somewhat reluctant to take such
action because Of the inconvenience
that would result, but they are now
convinced that the ever-increasing de-
terioration may cause the structure to
collapse.
The condition OF the bridge, coupled
with the emergency measures adopted
by the Commissioners to restrict the
weight limit of vehicles using it to
four tons, apparently has not de-
creased travel over it.
Statistics submitted to Capt. White
hurst today by Inspector William
Shelby Of the Police Department
showed that 1881 vehicles passed