The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-05-05
BOULEVARD LOOPS
Engineer Harrison Reports
on Condition ofthe Wee
hawken Branch. J.
INJURED BY SEVERE WEATHER
No Irreparable Damage Done
and Repairs Arranged For
-Hoboken Extension.

The condition of the Weehawken loop
of the Boulevard. which has created SO
much talk of late, was the subject of
considerable attention at Yesterdays
meeting of the Board of F~reeholders. The
matter was brought up by a lengthy re-
port submitted by the Chief Engineer as
to the status of the contract with the
Palisade Construction Company for crush
ing, paving and improving the branch
Boulevard.
Engineer Harrison states that the work
under the contract was completed and
the final payment, less the usual 5 per
cent, was ordered paid by the Board on
July Z, 1898, that the time allowed for the
work was 200 days and 1t was completed
within a. few days of that time. Mr.. Har-
rison's report says that under the con-
tract the contractors lawfully repaired the
road and that at the end of the fall of
1888 the road was in excellent condition.
Mr.. Harrison called attention to the
heavy rains and storms of last winter,
and reported that in March he inspected
the road and found many places in need
of repairs. The report states that the
Palisade Company made the repairs up to
~NR~4 - fFNN%tt - ittNtA Z tAt pCoA -
Freeholders. they stated that the travelling
of the road was largely due to the failure
of the county to have it sprinkIed.
Mr.. Harrison states that upon receipt
of this letter he conferred with the con-
tractors and urged that the repairs be
made and the responsibility b settled aft
forwards, but the contractors still insist
ed that the fault was with the county
and not with themselves. His report
gives a copy of a letter in which he
urged the contractors to put the road
in condition. On April rs, he accom-
panied the Board on an inspection trip
and the roa was found in a state to be
expected after a severe winter and be-
ing Immediately subjected to traffic with
out sDrinkling.
Concluding, the report says:-'Notwith-
standing the appearance and the incon-
venience to drivers by this condition of
the roadway, no irreparable injury has
been lone to the road. If left to itself
and the traffic, a week of wet weather
would bring the surface down hard and
smooth. The roadway is now in condi-
ton in which all macadam roadways
are when first laid out before the use
of steam rollers. The winter just passed
through has been the most trying on
roads, especially of new construction. in
my experience, being a succession or
hard posts and sudden thaws."
Mr.. Harrison stated hat subsequent to
the inspection he had another talk with
the contractors, with the result that the
company agreed to do all the work which
was required at the time of the March
inspection. MIR. Harrison concurs in the
statement of the contractors that the
road will ave unless sprfnkled.
Freebooter Ricrdan moved that the con-
tractor be notified to act at once, put
the Weehawken branch road in proper
repair and that a committee of three be
appointed to report on the same at the
next meeting.
This was adopted, and Director Nc
Nally appointed Freeholders Simon Kelly,
Ord Darling and Frederick Ripe as such
committee.
Freeholder Simon Kelly moved that
when the Board adjourns it be to Thurs
day, May IL, when this committee will
report.
4 resolution passed by the Boulevard
Commissioners notified the Board that
thew had made necessary repairs and are
now in position to relieve the Freenoiders
Of the expense of lighting the Boulevard
loop. u g,
Resolutions offered by Freeholder 81
mon Kelly were adopted requesting the
Commissioners to light the loop ana also
to sprinkle the road.