Newark post., 1917-08-29
WHAT ONE MAN IS
DOING FOR GOOD ROADS
Story of Pierre duPont ActOy Related BY the american
Hiehuay Association

A much more interesting piece
of road work, from a construction
viewpoint, is being carried out by
Mr.. DUPONT from the Pennsyl-
vania-Delaware line to a point 3
miles distant. Although this sec
tion of road is one of the main
highways to Wilmington, it was
narrow, winding and obstructed by
steep grades. 1t is part of one of
Pennsylvania State highways, so
Mr.. dupont has been cooperating
with the highway department of
that commonwealth in its improve
ment. The old right-of- way was
much too narrow, so after the
states engineers relocated the
road to suit themselves Mr.. du
Pont bought the additional right
of-way that was needed. He has
moved buildings for their owners,
when they would otherwise be
destroyed or injured by the i'm
provements, and he has even
moved trees for them. SO far as
the right-of-way negotiations are
concerned, he assumed them, and
they were heavy.
Down this right-of-way is be-
| ing built one of the widest coun-
try roads in the United States. In
| the center is concrete slab, "a
: feet wide, 6l2 inches thick at the
sides and 912 inches at the center.
Except where the concrete is laid
on deep fills it has no joints. At
each side there will be a shoulder
of macadam 3 feet wide, making
the entire width of the highway
80 feet. At one place, the work is
held up just now because the high
way will cross over a steam rail-
way and the railway company has
not yet prepared the finished plans
for the crossing. This is by no
means all the story, however. The
contract for building the road was
taken by the Good Roads Construc-
tion Company. When it is said
that Mr.. Francis is President of
this company the interference is
clear that Mr.. dupont is the COM
pany, and that the State will OBJ
tain an unusual road at an un-
usual price.
1t is not only in country road
building that Mr.. DUPONT has
shown his appreciation of traffic
needs. For long time there was
a narrow street in Wilmington
which was not only overcrowded
but also dangerous because We
hicles passing along its narrow
pavement were in danger of collid-
ing with those on intersecting
streets, because it was not pos
sible to see an approaching We
hicle until the crossing was reach
ed. To make this street safe as
we'll as wide enough for the traf-
fic, it was necessary to do what
Paron Hausmann did in Paris
under Napoleon III, cut off some
| of the houses. Mr.. dupont has ac-
cOrdingly bought an additional 20
feet along one side of this street
and workmen are now cutting 20
feet off the buildings and con-
structing new fronts for them. In
one case, where the trustees of a
church refused to allow such work
to be done on the church property
a lot was bought for them in
another part of the city and sub.
stantial contribution made toward
the cost of new church there.
1t is not every man who can
spend several million dollars i'm.
proving streets and roads for the
public good. The money is not the
most important contribution made
by Mr.. dupont in this work, how,
!. ever, for the careful thought anc
large amount of time he has de-
voted to arousing an interest il
!, good roads has been of greater
value. He has aroused this in
: terest thoroughly, so that while
. Chester county people speak Of
: him as "the road builder" of the
: county. they are really all road
, builders themselves now, which i
/ is real achievement to have
/ brought about in conservative
district where men change theiI
views slowly. Furthermore, al
, this has been done very quietly
{ just among neighbors, as it were
: and this account of the work i!
probably the first public notice o