03/22/55 Bridge construction over railway crossing at South Jefferson Street in Roanoke, Va.

7246 With spring only three days old, heres another progress report on Roanokes Viaduct. (start film) The viaduct will eliminate the grade crossing on South Jefferson Street. (show film) Comnwlth ave This is how the construction looks now, facing up Commonwealth avenue. signs The inconvenience caused by the detours will be a small price to pay for the final smooth flow of traffic into the downtown area. The project is a joint venture of the Norfolk & Western, and the city and state government. nuther un crane Foundations for the huge bridge are beginning to dot the areas around the approaches to the structure. Final cost will be in excess of 2 million 600 thousand dollars. gate The crossing on South Jefferson street has long been a bottleneck in the Roanoke downtown traffic pattern. Traffic entering the city from Routes 460 and 11 have to cross at the N & W station. switches operator With rail traffic as heavy as it is, autos sometimes have to wait as long as seven or eight minutes and the traffic piles up on either side of the tracks. Construction of the viaduct is scheduled for completion in the summer of 1956, and its hoped that Roanokes biggest traffic problem will be solved. high shot of traffic