The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-16

or ell the new State roads TO be con-
etructed In New York under the $50. 900 900
appropriation act probably the most costly
and by all odds the most remarkable Is
the projected highway which Is to open
up the Hudson Highlands along the west
bank Of the river and place West Point
In the line Of through travel.
How important this new road will be
may be seen by consulting an automobile
map. All routes leading up the west bank
of the Hudson turn sharply to the left at
about Nyack or Haverstraw. They run
thence far back into the country, to the
line Of the Erie Railroad, and return 10 the
river only at Newburgh and Cornwall.
These wide detours are made 20 avoid
the great triangular patch of country in.
cluded in the range of the western Highlands
across whose rugged heights there exists
at the present time scarcely one first class
road.
Running from Cornwall to Stony Point,
where il will %'connect with the system Of
roads leading down back Of the Palisades,
this new highway will make complete an
%unrivalled boulevard sixty miles long,
following the Hudson River closely for
a large part of it's distance. Building
operations are now being carried on along
some ten miles Of the route.
Not only in cost but alsoi in engineering
and constructive features this road will
be notable. From a scenic standpoint it
will be unrivalled inthis part OF the country.
1t will pass close TO every prominent river
peak of the Highlands. One part OF its
course will penetrate a wild region now
almoBt inaccessible even 10 the climber.
Another will open up a country whose
present rough road has never invited general
travel on wheels.
There will be more than thousand feet Of
mountain tunnelling and cutting Of benches
in the rock. Precipices will be skirted
and mountain ravines will be bridged.
The road will cross streams and pass
waterfalls not commonly known and will
skirt a wild lake nestled in a mountain
side.
The Cornwall-West Point section will
constitute the really remarkable part OF
the highway. 1t Is estimated that the
first two and a half miles Of this part OF
the road will cost something like $225 900
to build, and it will require perhaps $50, 900
more for the remaining stretch to West
Point.
Aside from the magnificent outlook on
the surrounding country and the Hudson
River, which this road will command, run
ming as it will along the mountain sides at
an elevation Of about 200 feet, it will ,prac-
tically make West Point accessible from
the north for vehicles for the first time,
How hard 1t is TO reach this spot now by
carriage or automobile from the south
via the west bank Of the river will be shown
later.
The present road to West Point from the
north is a beautiful and picturesque,drive
crossing the rear summit of Gro Nest
Mountain and winding back and forth
through the forests for nearly ten miles.
It rises nearly 800 feet In four miles and
then drops more than LOO feet, and part
of Its course is rough in the extreme.
In addition. the turns. where it winds
in SIS up and down the mountain, fare 80
abort that a good sized touring car would
have great difficulty In negotiating It,
while the high retaining walls at several
places constitute an added danger. The
new road gill out the distance to West
Point fros1 Cornwall nearly five miles,
and as the Grade will In no place exceed
B or 2 per cent. 1t would be possible to
trot q horse nearly the entire way.
The scenery will be even more COM
handing than that OF the old road. The
country will be looked down upon from
an elevation, showing 1t In a form unreal
lied by the traveller on train or boat up the
Hudson Valley. In addition will be features
which will place this Conwall-we Point
seotiopin the class with famous European
roads.
Leaving Bay View avenue the pictur-
esque plateau driveway which skirts the
northern slopes Of Storm King and looks
out on the wide expanse OF Newburgh Bay
at Cornwall, the road will extend toward the