Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-07-09
Local Citizens Start Movement
for New Highway,
PLAN SEEMS FEASIBLE
Numerous Goodly Stretches Of County
Roads Could be Connected up in
Construction of Proposed Route Be-
: tween This City and Richmond.

Several we'll known citizens of New
port News have started a movement
looking toward the building OF a
highway between this city and Rich
mond by the State authorities out OF
the State automobile fund. Ii is ilg-
ured that the cost of this road would
be comparatively small as there are
already good highways in several OF
the counties which could be linked up.
Norfolk is out after road between
that city and Richmond. but the local
people hope to secure the highway Tor
this city, as the distance between
Newport News and Richmond is
much shorter than that between Nor
folk and Richmond and the road down
the Peninsula would cost much less
than one on the other side OF James
river.
In Good Condition.
The roads between this city and
williamsburg are in comparatively
good condition, while in some places
the highway is an excellent one.
Material for the building of the high
way is close at hand and the complete
road could be constructed with little
trouble and small expense.
AS yet the plans of the local pro
motors of the scheme are only tenta-
tive, but those interested Will get
together in the near future and take
the matter up with the State com
missioner of roads and seek State
aid.
OF Great Value.
This highway will be of almost in
estimable value to this city as 1t VIII
bring many automobilists here while
the farmers between this city and
Williamsburg would use it in bringing
produce to the local markets for
shipment to northern cities.
The claims of this city and section
for the Newport Richmond
highway are set forth in the follow
ing statement which was made yester'
Cay by George Nelms Wise, who Is
enc of the leaders in the movement
for the securing of this highway for
the Peninsula:
"The State of Virginia this year VII
collect about 100000 from automo'
biles and probably more from year &c
wear. Some Norfolk people are en-
deavoring to make a fight for that
money to build road from Norfolk
through Petersburg, to Richmond, on
the theory that those three places pay
most of the automobile tax. The logl-
cal way TO go from Norfolk to Rich'
mond is down the jamestown boule'
ward. ferry across the Roads and then
20 from some point between Newport
News and Hampton to Richmond, a
distance OF only seventyfive miles, as
against one hundred and twenty, near
ly twice the distance.
IN addition to the fact that TINS
would give the shortest and best CON-
munication with Richmond, it would
benefit both Norfolk. Newport News
and Hampton, thus adding TO the
whole harbor, and would also put Nor
folk in easy access of the territory
lying between jamestown, Williams
burg, Yorktown, Old Point and New
port News, which is the richest lano
per SQUARE mile in national historic
interest in the United States In fact
this very territory is characterized
bysur. John Sharp Williams as toe
historical center of the United STATES
All of these points would be Within
an aft moons drive from Norfolh
by proper ferry facilities and slight
Improvement in the roads.
Never Aided by State.
I'VE have now thirty miles OF good
road leading from Old Point to hch-
mond and | understand they have
about twenty from Richmond this
way. In addition to this, road con-
structed from some point near West
Point and then to Gloucester Point
reaching here by way of yorktown
would utilize about twenty-five miles
Of the road leaving Richmond and
about twenty to thirty on this end.
This would bring TO this harbOr and
to Norfolk better communication with
a territory, which has never been adj
ed by the state. and material help
for which il stands in great need The
money received from the state bonds
which nov constitute the State debt.
was used to furnish TaiToad, water
and highway transportation to the