The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-10-25
MILLION DOLLAR
PLANK ROAD BIDS
CALLED FOR nov. 8
Contract Figures for Gigantic
Improvement Plan to Be
Filed in Jersey City.
VAST WORK ON BIG HIGHWAY
TO BE UNDER WAY SOON
Project Includes Building OF Pas
sale River Bridge and
Widening of Road.

The new Plank foad, which will soon
be the most improved highway between
Newark Jersey City, will be built
without planke. Plans for the great
Improvement have been under way for
years, and it will probably cost more
kthan a million dollars before they are
carried out, as the building of a bridge
across the Passaic river is one of the
most important points of the improve
ment.
As the STAR told long ago, the free
holders of Essex and Hudson counties
have agreed upon the Improvement, and
the first practical step Will be taken
November 9 at 4 o'clock in the Court
House, in Jersey City. when bids will
be received from contractors as to the
work. Both Essex and Hudson free
holders, representing a joint committee,
appointed for the purpose, will receive
these important bids and they will have
to be confirmed by the boards of the
two counties.
The Improvement will not only consist
of the building of q new bridge, but
also the widening of the road to 100
feet. The pavement, instead of the. old
fashioned planks, which ave the road
its name, will be either Medina sand
stone, granite blocks or wood blocks.
the freehoiders will pick out as best
suited to the urpos of the work In
hand.
Proceedings to condemn the land
needed for the widening of the road
have been taken, and so there Is no
question as to obtaining this right on
the part of the two counties interested.
NTt- A.. t..1..A xryArA frat hFOI10lI
UP for consideration considerable pres
sure was brought to bear upon the
freeholders to secure a separate o
for the use of automobiles exclusively,
but. as one of the county officials said
today, the road was primarily estab-
lished for the use of trucks and pusi-
ness wagons and should be SO used.
This has been decided upon.
According to the plans drawn by tho
county engineer, the trolley cars OF
the Public Service Company will use
several feet OF the roadway, those on
the right side running to Jersey City
those on the left to New York.
There will be convenient cross overs
at various points. Besides this, there
will be twenty-eight feet Of roadway
east n west, n the sidewalks will
be twenty-one feet in width.
Pipes for sewers electric light and
gas VIII be laid under the sidewalks and
there will be q six-foot fill on the road
between the bridges. The sewer pipes
will drain towards both rivers, the Pas
sale and Hackensack, In a way that
common sense would dictate, and there
are other features that will bring the
big contract well forward In the van OF
modern road and bridge construction.
Essex county will pay five-eighths Of
the cost of the construction Of the road,
on the theory that the improvement Is
for the greater benefit of this county,
while Hudson county Will pay the other
'three-eighths. As to the bridge, these
fractional proportions will be MAIN
tanned after the Public Service Corpor-
alton, which runs it's cars across this
part Of the meadows, has paid 25 per
cent. of the whole cost for the privilege
of using 1t.
Owing to the fact that the Hacken-
sack Meadows Company has mate
to the freeholders of the two counties
suficient land to permit the widening
of that portion of the road between
the rivers from twenty-nine to ono
hundred feet there will be no greater
delay in getting at the work than Is
required by law for the advertising for
bids. Much headway, however, WILL
probably be made before freezing
weather sets in so that the actual i'm
may be begun early in the
County Engineer James Owen will
be in charge OF the work for Essex,
and Engineers Hamill and Wasser for
Hudson.
F~reeholder Frank E.. Ward, of the
First ward, Is chairman of the local
OF the board that will look
after this county's interests. in the
great improvement.
Prospective bidders may inspect the
plans and specifications and secure all
information today n on successive
days in the rooms of the freeholders