South Side Bridge

South Side Bridge.

Franklin D. Roosevelt - President U.S.A. , Harry L. Hopkins - Federal Administrator , E. Witcher McCullough - State Administrator , E.C. Smith, Jr. - Deputy Administrator and Chief Engineer , S. Grover Smith - Director-Sixth District-W. Va. , J.R. Blackburn - District Engineer , Francis Geo. Davidson - Ass't. District Engineer , Ray C. Parks - Chief Timekeeper

, Cooperation of the Federal Government through the Works Progress Administration, made it possible for the people of the City of Charleston to receive this bridge, after all other apparent sources had failed. It replaced the old South Side Bridge on the same site built in 1891, which long had been obsolete and inadequate. Its construction gave work to the otherwise unemployed men of this community., To this project the Works Progress Administration contributed approximately $312,000, of which $163,000 went for steel and the remainder for labor., The City of Charleston paid its share of the costs from a $330,000 bridge bond issue, passed on December 5, 1935., The span over the tracks of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad was financed with $40,000 from Federal Works Program grade crossing elimination funds allocated by the West Virginia State Road Commission as project number W.P.G.M. 277., Preliminary construction was begun January 20, 1936 and the bridge was completed in April 1937., Steel was fabricated and three main spans erected by the Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. All other work was done by City of Charleston forces.