Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-12-13
NEW PLANK ROAD
HAS AUSP|C|OUS
OPENING TODAY
1000 Decorated Vehicles in
Line in Opening
Parade.

Two thousand vehicles deliberately
decorated with the American colors
We're in line when the parade in
celebration of the formal opening of
the new Plank road started shortly
after 2 o'clock this afternoon. The
start was made from the HpCson
boulevard. Jersey City. where the We
hicles extended for a mile and half.
The large turnout exceeded the ex-
pectations of the committee in charge
OF arrangements. Twelve hundred
automobiles were In line and horse
driven vehicles to the number of 800
were also lined up. The largest dis
play of any one concern was the
fifty wagons of the Hill Bread Com
pany, of this city. These wagons and
the horses drawing them were elabo-
rated with American colors, and also
carried a good supply of advertising
matter.
Every conceivable horse-drawn We
hicle, from a pony cart to an immense
girder truck, hauled by twenty
horses, was in line. The autos also
represented large variety, every
known brand being represented in
the parade.
A large crowd witnessed the start
of the parade on the Jersey City side
of the new Plank road. The houses
along the line of march were also
decorated with American colors, both
on the Jersey City end and in this
city. A large delegation was on hand
at the Newark end of the road to
welcome those who took part in the
parade.
Today marks the passing OF the old
Plank road and its formal opening as
the Essex Hudson Lincoln highway.
and in honor of the occasion there viii
be a big parade of vehicles of all
kinds over the new 100-foot granite
and wood block roadway that now
connects this city with Jersey CITY.
Luncheon mt the washington.
The parade will be followed by an
informal luncheon at the Washington,
in this city, where the members OF
the boards of freeholders of HUDSON
and Essex counties, other county oili-
Gals and invited guests will assemble
after the parade has been dismissed
AT Military Park. The luncheon Will
be given by the members of the gem
eral committee that has had charge
of the arrangements for the celepra-
ton.
Cost s1,3OO,0O0.
of Essex and Hudson about 81, 300, 900,
for which about 100000 went into the
roadway and 100000 into the con-
struction of two bridges. one oyer the
Hackensack and one over the Passaic
river. These bridges are the very
latest type of swing bridges.
New Road Ten Feet Higher.
The old Plank road with its twenty.
two feet of roadway, consisting. OF
battered planks and mudholes, mas
given way to a roadway 100 rect In
width, which is on the average ten
feet higher than the old roadway.
Two Separate Roads.
The new highway consists of two
separate roadways for vehicular
traffic, with the street car tracks in
the centre between them. On the
south side the roadway Is paved with
wood block and is used for automo :
bile and other passenger venice
traffic. The north side Is paved with
granite block, and the heavy tedming
fraffic and automobile trucks are re-
stricted to the use of this side of the
roadway. On both the north ana
south sides there is also, a teh-foot
sidewalk. This takes up twenty feet
of the 100 feet width of the road.
Each roadway is twenty-eight feet In
width, while twenty-four feet OF the
road is devoted to the street car COM
pany's tracks.
First Stretch of Lincoln Highway.
1t was originally suggested that the
new roadway be called the Essex ana
Hudson boulevard, but on sugges-
ton by automobiles interested IN
the proposed Lincoln highway when
Is to be built as a memorial OF the
martyred President, and which VIII
extend from New York to San Fran
cisco, the Lincoln was annexed to
the names of the two counties re-
sponsible for the building of the road.
This was a perfectly proper move,
as the new road is in reality the very
first stretch of that 000-mile-long
highway to be put In operation. To
James Owen, now consulting county
engineer of Essex County and for
many years county engineer, most OF
the credit for the new roadway be-
longs, as 1t was he who planned and
built it.
Line of March.
The line of march for the parade
will be from the assembling point
at West Side Park, Jersey City,
thence across the Essex Hudson-L in
coin highway to Ferry street, this
city, through Ferry and Market
street to Broad. to Military Park,
where the parade will be disbanded.
Committees in Charge.
The parade celebration is i'm charge
of the Plank road committees Of the
Board of Freeholders of Hudson and
Essex counties and members of au-
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