Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-02
CHAIN BRIDGE WORK.
DISCUSSED.
Nirginians Join D. c. Officials
RI in Considering Un-
/ dertaking.

Believing that the abutment on the
Virginia side Of the Chain Bridge
which the District Commissioners
Found to be in dangerous condition
hnd on account of which the bridge
WAS closed to traffic, may be repaired
State Highway Commissioner Shirley
bf Virginia was in conference yester'
6ay with Representative Moore of
Fairfax, author of a bill presented in
the last Congress for erection of new
bridge. Commissioner Shirley ex
pressed confidence that the abutment
can be made safe and is going to have
hnother conference with Engineer
Commissioner Col. w. B. Ladue.
Representative Moore emphasized
the hardship imposed on the people in
heighboring Virginia by the closing of
Chain Bridge. He said that IL the re-
pairs are made so that the bridge can
be opened again to traffic he will not
be so insistent in the coming Congress
that a new bridge be erected. If the
bid bridge remains closed Representa-.
tive Moore intends to press urgently
Tor passage of his bridge bill.
Warming Recalled.
Following the warning last June by
Maj. w. f. r. Covell, acting Engineer
Commissioner, that the bridge was
unsafe, Mr.. Shirley stated that as the
bridge lis wholly within the limits of
the District Of Columbia, the Virginia
State Highway Commission is without
any authority whatever to participate
in the expense of its reconstruction"
He pointed out that "for more than
} century and a quarter there has been
a bridge at or near the present loca-
tion."
Highway Commissioner Shirley
points out that the conditions regard
ing Chain Bridge ARE substantially
Identical to those pertaining % the
new Highway Bridge, which has been
built and is maintained independently
of the State of Virginia. when that
bridge was constructed" he argues,
r'the Government acquired strip Of
land south of the river over which the
Neutrality-suspicious. Highway ap-
breaches the bridge, and this was
done for the purpose of giving the
Federal Government the unQuestioned
right to protect the bridge at both
ends and facilitate its use. Should
the Government desire to take like
action relative to the southern ap-
proach to the Chain Bridge" Mr..
Shirley assumes, there would be no
objection. But that is quite a diff
ferent thing" he says, from the idea
that we should or can engage in the
reconstruction work."
At the same time, Commissioner
Shirley stresses that the bridge is inn
portant, not only to the people Of The
District Of Columbia and large pub
Tic in the Eastern States who travel
across it, but to a large public south
of the Potomac River. at is not 20
be overlooked, however" Mr.. Shirley
says, that hard-surfaced roads have
been and are being provided in Vir-
ginia, calling for a very heavy outlay,
which take care Of travel 70 and from
the bridge to the advantage as much
of the District of Columbia as the
State Of Virginia"
Importance Of Bridge.
Representative Moore has impressed
upon the District Commissioners that
the Chain Bridge lis one of the river
of business comes into the District
from a very extensive territory.
And the District sends out over
The Chain Bridge" Mr.. Moore reminds
the Commissioners, much of the
building material and other supplies
used in the area south of the river,
which is now so rapidly progressing"
Thus he argues, mot to reconstruct
the bridge, and its consequent aban-
.donment in the near future, would be
b backward step and severe loss to
the District"
Chairman Commissioner Dougherty
says that the District Commissioners
are Thoroughly in accord as to the i'm.
portance of this bridge as a link in
the traffic route between the District
of Columbia and Virginia and Will
heartily indorse any practical meas
ure for it's early replacement" He
calls attention that 1.-The Commission
ers have made several attempts to
secure an appropriation for this pur-
pose, but have never been able to get
such an item approved by the director
of the budget. Having in mind past
failures in this direction, the Com.
missioners have felt that it was USE
less to present the item again, ana
accordingly it was not included in the
budget being prepared for the next
fiscal year.
The Commissioners have heretofore
fixed the cost of reconstruction OF the
bridge at $350,O0O. Should the Chain
Bridge be abandoned, a large percen.
tage of that amount would be needed
for it's removal, Representative Moore
argues, so that "the net cost Of recon
struction would be far less than the
amount mentioned"
Ladue's Estimates.
Engineer Commission Ladue has
prepared the following estimates OF
the cost of removing the existing
Chain Bridge, in whole or in part:
(A) To remove the entire structure
excepting the abutment on the District
of Columbia side, which is necessary
as a retaining wall-approximate cost
$4,000.
B) To remove the superstructure
and the Virginia abutment, leaving
the piers standing-estimated cost
$4,000.
(O To remove the river span ant
leave the Virginia abutment only
leaving the piers and the spans Other
than the river span in place-esti
mated cost. $4,000.
All OF these estimates, Col. Ladue
explains, except the last one. are based
upon the provision that the materia
removed shall become the property o.
the contractor. In the case OF thu
last estimate, the amount OF materia
is so small that no allowance for sal
wage value has been made in the esti
mate.