Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-07-01
READY
FOR OPENING
JULY FOURTH
Pronounced One C
Finest Spanning Rio
Grande; All Steel
And Concrete

over the Murky waters OK the RIO
Grande. the cleaning steel structure
OF Brownsville's new international
bridge L. destined to play an I'm
portant role IN the future Develop
ment OF Brownsville and M~atamoroSY
ia the prediction Of q. a. Fraser
vice president OK the Gateway Bridge
company, who has been in active
charge Of building operations.
The bridge will not be- formally
opened for traffic until July A. An
nouncement was made early In the
week that the first traffic would pass
over it Sunday, July i, but delay i'm
some Of the work Is expected 70 halt
the opening a day or two. AT tina
formal opening on July q, Browns
Vile, Matamoros and the residents OF
the entire Valley country will partici-
pate in one Of the most notable cele-
brations in the history Of the lower
country.
The bridge, erected by the Gateway
Bridge company Of which r. r.
Creager OF Brownsville is president,
cost approximately S550,00O. Other
officers are Roy r.. Miller of Seattle,
Wash, vice president; and w. f.
Callahan or Brownsville, secretary
treasurer.
The construction work was done
by the Puget Sound Bridge and
Dredging compan Of Seattle, Wash.
Ford, Bacon a. Davis of New York
were the engineers. j.. X. Green or
the company's branch office at New
Orleans being IN charge of the en-
cheering work.
Built in Record Time
For two months work on the bridge
has been proceeding no u pace that
has amazed experienced bridge build
ers. The construction work, under
the direction OF g. ,. Elem Of Seattle,
Wash, builder Of scores of bridges,
has broken all records in the South.
Tons Of steel and thousands of yards
of concrete have been erected or put
into place. Throughout the daylight
hours and often far into the night
the rattle of automatic riveters and
the c~hugginE Of the concrete mixer
or huge derrick has proceeded with
out cessation, and from this activity
has emerged the finest structure
spanning the Rio Grande.
Build "a bridge where q bridge be-
longs" was the slogan of the Gate
way Bridge company, which snnounc-
ed almost W years ago that the
structure would be erected with the
American terminal On Fourteenth
street and the Mexican terminal 1t
Santa Cruz.
Then followed months of litigation,
and not until September OK last year
was the first piling for the false
work driven. Then followed more
delay, caused By litigation from
mrhrnh The EwNwwm~~~ Dill
finally emerged victorious with all
franchises, permits and concessions
necessary 70 erect the structure
across the international stream.
Started in December
Construction OF the falsework rot
under way during December. ard
then followed a race 10 erect the
steel before the annual spring rise
of The Rio Grande. Over 400 tons OF
steel were placed in a few weeks.
two shifts OF workmen being m
ployed constantly, and by the middle
OF May the huge steel structure be-
gan TO take form.
The river rise found the work
we'll along. Practically every Joint
was riveted and the bridge swung
clear Of the falsework, supported Nv
the huge concrete piers al each side
OF the Rio Grande. In a few DAYS
the workmen pronounced the steel
structure completed. and then fol-
lowed the construction or the con-
crete roadway, - feet ia width. bor-
dered on each side by concrete walks
: feet IN width. Concrete approach
Ga were constructed on each side
and he highway from the bridge 70
Sixth street i'm Matamoros graded and
topped with caliche. The connecting
highway has been topped with two
courses Of asphalt, forming a beauti-
III drive between the business Sec
tons OF the two border cities.
All steel work has been painted
with aluminium metal paint. rIeam-
ing like silver in the bright valley
sunshine and forming "A beautiful
contrast u the gray concrete rail-
ings and walks and the verdure of
the vegetation lining the river
banks.
Government Quarters
: Temporary quarters fer the Gus
toms, immigration and public heath
officials have been erected "a tha
American side, and plans have beer
drawn for the permanent structure
which will be erected OF tile ara
stucco- two stories, Spanish design.
permanent quarters for the Mexican
customs and immigration Officials
nave been completed. The buildinv
constructed Of tile and stucco. Pr,
epic design, contains five large or
ice rooms with long portiros both
n front and rear. PilinE from ths
falsework Of the bridge has besn
utilized for beams and supports
combining 70 create an impreSyior
ot massiveness and strength that ~
DoLh beautiful and UNIQUE.
from the bridge the hirhwsv
passes through Santa Cruz, follow
lng for some distance the route ~
the OLD street car tracks, the brorl
pend through the greenery IN trees
ana ~shrubbery. making the drive
enc RI great beauty. The pavirs
terminates PC Sixth street near ~
Driye Inn, running east OF ERE raiI-
~ eiAGAs the entire distance.
span 367 Fee Long
me span OF the huge structure Is
30 teeti the width is 20 feet ard
tne maximum height or the See
"ork ls approximately 6 feet ghova
ths roadway. The roadway n aho.f
~ eel above formal level Of the
nNeI- between 1000 and 5000
yards Of concrete was used ~ tLo
construction Of piers, anrvaa.LAs
driveway, walks and raiiingr ~
concrete being steel reinfcyre5 80
a night Of broad steps leads o.
the bridge walk on the west si5s 49,
On the east side an incline. nnsvF--
tne future offices of the eurtc-..
Continued on page two,l