Evening journal., 1916-04-22
Blackbird and Dover.
Recommendations.

Blackbird and Dover.
Recommendations
II is recommended that the High
way Commissioner at once proceed 10
make a thorough investigation OF the
relative value TO the county Of the
several unimproved and improved
highways and report recommended
tions for a system OF highways to the
Levy Court embOdying three classes
OF highways to be known as. first,
intra and interstate trunk highways;
second. main hundred highways; and,
third. local hundred highways.
Appropriations.
Present conditions. The funds appro.
priated Tor the construction and main
tenancc of highways are derived from
three sources. First, State appropria-
tions for constructions second, Levy
Court appropriations for construction
and maintenance of improved highways,
and third, appropriations by each of the
ten hundreds for maintenance of unim-
proved highways and highways i'm
proved with funds appropriated by hun
dreds.
For the year ending June 30. 1915. the
state appropriation for road construc-
ton was $1,000. the Levy Court ap-
popriations for construction was under
the item Good Roads" $4,000. and
under the item Roads inside CITY Lin.
it's $4,000, and by bond issues SlOO..
900 for Maintenance of Improved
Roads" $4,000, and the tax levy of the
county and the hundreds. not including
Wilmington, for the maintenance of un-
improved roads. 3,55G.55. The total
appropriations for the construction and
maintenance of highways in -.e county
was 1904, ,556.55.
Recommendation. II is recommended
that the state appropriations shall only
be used for the construction of inter and
intrastate trunk highways.
Preliminary Investigations, SURVEYS
Design and Office Practice.
Present conditions. he highways
commissioner conducts a certain amount
Of investigation upon which is based the
selection Of type for location of a
highway approved by the Levy Court.
Surveys plans and estimates are
made by an engineer appointed in the
case Of each highway.
There is ample evidence that the
present plan does not work out satisfae
torily. For example. in several in.
stances very large bills for extras indi
cate that many details are not given
careful consideration prior TO the award
Of contracts As illustrations will b,
cited certain data pertaining to the ex
tras on -four contracts awarded in 1871;
and 1914.
Kennett Road. Christiana hundred.
Length. or miles Original contract
price. Sll,41l. Extras, $2S22.31.
which amount included $413.3S for
il3 square yards Of cutters and 1876
for 1883 square yards OF macadam.
which yardage is over 20 per cent OF
the total yardage of macadam in the
original contract
West Chester Road. Christiana
hundred. Length. l.077 miles. ORR
, ginsl contract price. S1l ,452. Extras
! S2.52006. which amount includes
s344.16 for 275 square yards OF gut.
ters and s1.3472O for $40 square yards
OF macadam.
; Blackbird Station Road. Appoquini-
mink and Blackbird hundreds
, Length 1.29 miles. Original contract
| price. $4,000. Extras. S2,007.19, which
amount includes $1.36729 for 1,S0E
I square yards OF macadam which yard
Z age is approximately 20 per cent. oi
/ the total yardage Of macadam in the
I original contract.
Appoquinimink Hundred State
Road. Appoquinimink hundred
! Length. 400 feet. Original con
tract price. s6,56O. Extras. s2.S63. 70
which amount includes S60O53 fol
723 square yards OF macadam and
Sl.277 for 2,555 cubic yards OF grad
ing.
A consideration of the above state
ments naturally leads TO the inquir,
as TO whether the excessive extra
yardages Of macadam we're used fol
increase in the length OF the con
tract. an increase in the width o.
road or an increase in the thickness
of macadam
Furthermore the practice OF allow
ing the contractors to bid on differen
combinations of rock for broken ston,
and some cases on different detail
OF construction indicates that in al
probability the Investigations mad
arc not sufficient in amount 10 de
, termine the quality OF rock suitsbl