NEW WEST MAIN STREET BRIDGE WILL SERVE MANY FUNCTIONS

	CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Oct. 11 -- West Main Street, one of
the most travelled thoroughfares in Charlottesville and an important
link between the downtown area and the University of Virginia, is
getting a face lift.  A new West Main Street bridge, presently under
construction, is expected to bring a revitalization to the area that
will help meet the increasing demands of transportation as well as
add beauty to the neighborhood and serve as a new city gateway.
	The construction of the new bridge was initiated by Norfolk
Southern Corporation in response to the need for stacked freight
cars to pass through the city.  It will be four feet higher than the
present bridge to accommodate the new mode of rail transportation.
	Warren Boeschenstein, associate professor of architecture at
U.Va., is chief architect for the project.  The City of
Charlottesville asked him to participate in the project when it
received a proposal for the construction that the city's urban
design committee deemed inappropriate.  Boeschenstein, already
familiar with the area and having done previous work for the city,
has designed a bridge that will conform to the existing character of
the area.
	Boeschenstein said his aim is that "the bridge will
complement the area, and not serve as an awkward insertion."
According to Boeschenstein, the bridge will be not just a highway
bridge, but an urban bridge with many features.
	Among the special features of the bridge is the brick facing
that will relate to the older buildings in the area such as the
Amtrak railroad station, area businesses and the First Baptist
Church.  Other features include 11-foot-wide sidewalks, pedestrian
overlooks, elegant railings, and street lighting above and below the
bridge.  An embankment of crabapple trees and meadow grass with
wildflowers will also add to the scenic landscaping. 
	Stairs on both the north and south sides will connect the
railroad platform and West Main Street, providing what Boeschenstein
hopes will be a more gracious walking route.  "The area could become
more of a center of commercial and pedestrian activity, as it once
was," Boeschenstein said.
	"I hope the bridge will be a fitting gateway for rail
passengers entering the city, serve as a link between the eastern
and western sections of the city, and help draw people to this area,
which is undergoing redevelopment," Boeschenstein added.
	The Norfolk Southern Corp. and the Virginia Department of
Transportation are financing the construction of the bridge,
expected to be completed by next summer and to be followed by the
renovation of the railroad station.
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October 10, 1995
	For interviews or additional information, Warren
Boeschenstein may be reached at (804) 295-2177.