• Franklin Road Bridge - Roanoke VA
    The Franklin Road Bridge was paid for by the New Deal-era Public Works Administration during the Great Depression. The 363-foot span carries vehicular traffic over railroad tracks to eliminate dangerous train-car accidents. The Art Deco ornamentation on this bridge is not as ornate as that on bridges built in the 1920s, but featured lights that "used sodium vapor to illuminate the bridge at night." This was new to Roanoke in the 1930s. "The Virginian Railway and the City of Roanoke received federal funds to build bridges that would cross above railroad tracks and remove dangerous at-grade crossings. The Franklin Road and...
  • Picnic Shelter - Roanoke VA
    The stone picnic shelter was constructed during the 1930s (after 1934 when the park was planned for development) by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The city of Roanoke hired landscape architect A. A. Farnham to develop a plan for the park, including the stone picnic shelter.
  • Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport Improvements - Roanoke VA
    Opened on it's current location in 1929, the Roanoke Regional Airport began operating with two dirt runways and a single small hangar. In 1937, with the condition of the airport deteriorating, the City of Roanoke bought the property. Using funds and help from the Works Progress Administration, the runways were paved, and the hangers were upgraded. During this time, it was declared a National Defense Project, and federal funds were funneled into upgrading other factors of the airport. Renovations were completed on December 15 1941, when the airport was dedicated.
  • Wasena Bridge - Roanoke VA
    Roanoke, Virginia's Wasena Bridge was constructed as a federal Public Works Administration (PWA) project between 1938 and 1939 by Contractor M. S. Hudgins, Wisconsin Bridges & Iron Company and Consulting Engineers, Barrington & Cortelyou . The bridge carries the traffic of Main St. SW (Route 221) above train tracks, the Roanoke River, and Wasena Park, between Old Southwest / downtown Roanoke and the neighborhood of Wasena. The PWA provided a $149,265 grant for the bridge's construction; the final cost of the project was $336,254. Construction occurred between August 1938 and August 1939. PWA and dedication plaques are located at the north end of the...