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This article
appeared in the January 28, 1921 of the "LaGrange Citizen" newspaper
SURVEY FOR THE NEW BRIDGE
County Officials Visit Site of Proposed Improvement at North Fifth* and 22nd Street
The paving of North Fifth avenue has been brought one step nearer by the surveying of the proposed new bridge over Salt creek and the straightening of the road. H. D. Barker, the highway engineer, has had lines run on both North Fifth avenue and Twenty-second street and last week county officials came out to look over the proposed improvements.
It was first suggested that Fifth avenue have one bad twist taken out by continuing the road from the foot of the hill at Salt creek straight across instead of turning to the west -- as the old bridge does --- in order to cross the stream at right angles. This would eliminate a dangerous "S" curve but the officials have decided to go further and make a straight road over the hill, continuing Fifth avenue directly north. This would carry the road to the west and north of the brick house, crossing the creek diagonally just above the little dam and continuing on north.
But this is only part of the good work proposed. It is now planned to iron the kink out of Twenty-second street where it follows along the east bank of Salt creek. To do this it will be necessary to change the channel of the creek, cutting across the loop that now swings around to the north and east. The old bridge will be left open, culverts, being put in where twenty-second street crosses but the bulk of the water will be diverted to the new channel. The dirt used in the excavation for the new channel will be used in grading up Twenty-second where it will cross the present creek bed.
The surveys have been made for these improvements and met with the hearty approval of the road and bridge committee of the county board, the forest preserve which owns the land through which the new roads will run, and with the engineering department.
The men who were out last week to imspect the project were: ??? Wilson, chairman, and ?? Bartley Burg, George A. Mil?? .Dudley Pierson of the Road and Bridges committee of the County board: B. D. Barker, Highway Engineer; Emmet Flavin, Forest Preserve ?? ???????, Chief Forester; Owen O'Malley, Assistant Forester, and Joseph Dillabough, secretary of the Forest Preserve District.
The men were all agreed that it was wise to "do the job right" while they are about it and straighten the roads before there is any paving. One of the fine features of the progam is that the present roads can be used while the work on the cut-offs is in progress.
The new roads will be graded, the creek channel changed and the new bridge built this summer. This will give the approaches time to thoroughly settle before they are paved next year.
This program will meet with the most hearty approval of the residents of this district and, in the years to come, will give convenient access to the very beautiful grounds along Salt creek which have just been acquired.
The question marks in the article are there because the text was not clear in the available microfilm.