Evening star., 1928-11-20
RAILROAD EXPANDS
MARKET TRACKAGE
Pennsylvania Soon to Build
New Fan-Shaped Bridge in
Wholesale District.

Expansion of railroad trackage and
Vehicular facilities in the vicinity of
Fourteenth and Water streets southwest
in conjunction with the development of
a wholesale market area in that local.
ity is a program that Is taking definite
shape and will be pushed in the imrne-
Sdiate future. The Pennsylvania Rail-
road, 1t was learned today, Is nearly
ready to erect new fan-Shaped bridge
for carrying trackage into the South
west wholesale market area, now being
developed. and is likely to start steel
construction within week. The bridge
is expected to be completed about jan
uary i, and will cost approximately
$3.50, 900.
The new railroad bridge. which will
span Water street, hooking up the
wholesale market area with the main
line to the south, across the Potomac
River, has received the approval Of the
Fine Arts Commission. The two abut-
ments for this bridge are already in
place and the steel is being fabricated
in Pennsylvania and will be shipped to
Washington soon to be put in place.
Then the switching tracks will be laid,
the new bridge nearly paralleling the
present bridge across Water street and
being placed directly south of it.
In addition to this railroad bridge
,AOIkHbl QCbIO1ls lLIS TlAlC AUS
will soon consider projected vehicular
traffic bridge across the Washington
channel, running parallel to the rail-
road span across the Potomac This
will lead from Potomac Park and dis
tribute automobile trafic to Water
street much to the relief of motorists
who are now caught in a tangle in the
vicinity of the Bureau of Engraving and
Printing when there is congestion in
that locality.
Bridge 80 Feet Long.
The new railroad bridge, which will
be about 80 feet long, will carry track
age to serve the Terminal Market
Stores, Col. Wrisley Brown. president
of the Potomac Freight Terminals Co,
explained today. Double trackage will
be constructed back of the produce
terminal building, excavation for which
has just been begun, Col Brown said,
and double trackage will also be con-
structed back OF E street for team truck
delivery
At the present time there are tracks
north of street, but in addition, under
the new program. Col. Brown declared.
street from Twelfth to Fourteenth,
which has been abandoned for street
purposes to permit of railroad expan-
sion there, has been dedicated for
trackage, as have Thirteenth and Thir-
teenth-and-a-half streets from Mary
land avenue to Water street.
The new switching bridge of the
Pennsylvania Railroad, Col. Brown
pointed out will permit Washington's
modern wholesale market to be better
served from the main running tracks
OF the railroad system from the North
and West and from nearby Potomac
Yard. the converging point for all
Southern trunk lines. Pennsylvania
Railroad engines bring freight of the
Southarnt carriers across Long Bridge
on tonnage basis, switching the cars
from Potomac Yard.
Col. Brown pointed out tl.at Mai.
Brehon B. Somerville, District engineer
OF the Army Engineer Corps, who is in
charge OF water front develOpment for +,
this area, suggested the plan of archi-
lecture for the Produce Terminal Stores
now under construction. This struc- |
ture will be of modified colonial design. |
and viii harmonize with the Municipal |
Fish Market, on the other side of the |
street. but not directly across from the /
Produce Terminal Stores The building /
viii serve commission merchants and |
wholesalers Of fresh fruits and vege- /
tables.
Cold Storage Refrigeration.
Col. Brown called attention to the |
point that the projected wholesale mar
ket is about half mile directly south |
Of the present market district, near the |
new. National Museum.
The Produce Terminal Stores. which
will front on Water street, will be served
with refrigeration from the cold storage
and ice nlant of the Terminal Refriger-
atfng d. Warehousihg Corporation,
across the street. on Twelfth street.
Conduits for this purpose have been in
stalled to carry pipeline refrigeration
to the fresh, fruits and vegetables of
the commission merchants and whole
salers. The terminal cold storage and
ice plant covers a whole block.
The sales warehouse and distributing
plant of the Cudahy Packing Co.. on
the northwest corner of Twelfth and e
streets. has now been in operation for
couple of years, and forms a unit in
the wholesale market area. Across the
street, on the northeast corner. a group
of market stores is under construction
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