Evening star., 1927-11-08
BRIDGE ABUTMENT
RAPIDLY BREAKING
Condition of Chain Span May
Force Closing of Structure
to Pedestrians.

Disintegration Of the deteriorated
abutment of Chain Bridge is proceed
ing at rapid rate and the stone
masonry is in a more hazardous con-
dition than ever, according to report
of the District Bridge Department,
submitted to Capt. II. &. Whitehurst,
Assistant Engineer Commissioner.
The report. based on recent obser-
vations taken by the bridge engineers.
revealed that the north wing wall
shows new openings in the nlane of
the foundation which 1t said presents
serious possibilities"
The deteriorated condition OF the
abltment caused District officials to
close Chain Bridge to vehicular traffic
some months ago, and in view of The
new report Of the bridge engineers
it is likely that pedestrian travel will
be prohibited. Should the abutment
collapse before contemplated recon.
struction starts, 1t was pointed ont,
the delivery Of water from tae Dale.
carlia reservoir to Arlington County,
Va. would he interrupted temporarily,
as the bridge carries the water mains.
Disintegration Rapid.
The report explained that observa-
IlOHS tdhtI otLobet ~ iCStaIch tiid
the waters of the Potomac at the
abutment had risen 90 feet in 4S hours.
"At flood time" it said, "a large dis.
charge was noted throughout the en-.
tire face of the Virginia abutment. YER
flying the original assertion that this
portion of the structure contained d
large percentage of yoids.
"On November no perseptible out.
ward movement was apparent, but
or the first time since 1920. an opening
of three thirty seconds of an inch was
discovered in the vertical crack in the
face of the abutment on the upstream
end.
Visual examinatiO of this crack
verified the measurements, as it is
very apparent that separation has &C.
Cured and that disintegration is pro.
ceeding at greater rate than hereto.
fore noted.
",rhe north wing wall shows new
openings in the plane of founda lion
limits and general segregation is very
apparent. The latest movement here
in noted presents serious possibilities
as it indicates an unstable condition
Of the north corner, now separated
from the abutment proper by two in
tcrsection planes of rupture"
May Hasten Construction.
Reconstruction of the abutment, II
was indicated, likely will be hastened
as a result of serious condition stress
ed by the bridge engineers. Bids for
the work opened yesterday afternoon
by Ronald NJ. Brennan, chief clerk OF
the engineering department, revealed
that the prices quoted by contractors
ranged from $36,120 to $6s, 900.
There were nine bids submitted. The
Fl. S. Iiatton Construction Co. quoted
the lowest price OF $36,120. Three OF
the bids contained alternative propo
sails. which were sought in order to
obtain the ideas of the contractors for
replacing the abutment, but all ol
them were higher than the lowest bid
for building a new concrete abutment,
The bids were referred to the bridge
department for investigation and re
port. The contract for the new abut
ment probably will be awarded as soon
as the department makes it's report.
While the engineer department is
without specific appropriation for re-
constructing the abutment, 1t has
planned to use the bridge repair fund
of $4,000 and to seek a deficiency
covering the cost of the work at the
forthcoming session of Congress.