The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1941-06-05
All Summer
For
0verpdss
Crew Will Be Busy
Until Late Fall;
Finished Next Spring.
TO START POURING
CONCRETE NEXT WEEK

I'VE expect to be working on the
Libby overpass until snow hte4,
said Oscar johnson, superintendent
in charge Of construction OF the
project for Frank ]. Hess, contrac-
tor. I'VE will probably have most
of the structure completed by that
time but our contract calls for 4
crushed gravel and oil treated sur
face of the earth-fill approaches to
the overpass, and it will probably
be too late this fall to do that oil
work because of the cold weather
That part of the contract will prob
ably have to be completed next
spring
Mr.. Johnson got small crew to-
gether last week and started pre-
! liminary work At present some SIX
or eight men are On the payroll
] he said. but he expects to have from
Is to 80 men employed when the
work is fully under way.
Two pits have been dug to con-
siderable depth. One is almost dl-
rectly against the house track on
the north side of the railroad yard
The other and larger one is some p
to 80 feet farther north. In the first
pit there will be constructed large
concrete pier to support the steel
superstructure. In the larger pit
will be two similar concrete p1erS~
Between these piers and the bridge
will be an earth fill. Directly
against the south end of the bridge
there will be built new approach
This will be a treated timber ap-
proach and will strike the bridge
directly in line with the center Of
, that structure, thus doing away
with the present curve in the ap-
hpepach- -
. Another large concrete pier viii
) be built directly south of the main
$ railroad track. Two more such piers
will stand about where the gas
l tanks are now located These tanks
will have to be removed and that
work will be done by the con-
, tractor.
! The floor of the overpass be-
: tween the concrete piers on the
j. north side of the track will be con-
$ tructed OF concrete, heavily rein
2 forced with steel. The structure di-
l. rectly over the tracks will be Of
steel, with a floor of reinforced
s concrete. The railing structure al
0 the sides OF the roadbed will also bt
: of reinforced concrete.
: Extending southwark from this
!, overpass there will be an earth i'll
Y reaching about to Second street, or
California avenue.
New work is also to be done a
the north end of the bridge. A new
roadway is to be excavated ther'
directly in line with the bridge ant
through the hill. The new rOat
will be carried on northward t
! connect with the present highwa.
i. not far from the present Blackfor'
i HILL This will eliminate the ba'
s curve at the top of the presen
= small rise as one leaves the bridg
T. to the north.
= The earth taken from this exca
walton will be used in the fills /
Il the new overpass.
Il The structural steel to be use
= in the overpass is being shippe
!. from Seattle, said Mr.. Johnson. H
expects it will arrive here the la'
= ter part of this week. He also ex
g. poets to begin pouring concrete fc
> the piers some time next week.
~ A number of piling have bee
~ driven this week between the tw
~ pits on the north side of the track
- These are to be used in construc
- ing the superstructure and will (
re removed later.
vv.A-1