Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-08-03
South Jersey Roads

The State Highway Department, as
part of it's program to spread a con'in-
uous network OF passable and modern
roads wei New Jersey, has made a
slight change in route No. Is, which
will extend from Brldgeton in Cumber-
land County, through to Cape May
County. The re-routed road, work on
which has been under way for the past
several weeks will mean much TO the
nutomobilist. II cuts off What might
be termed q detour of several miles on
the road from Bricksboro, eliminating
a stretch through Dorchester and Lees
burg.
The two latter towns, however, when
the work Is completed, will still be on
the main road In the State Highway
Departments plan of its good road
system. For the inhabitants of these
places, as well as intermediate points,
q stretch of road, now practically i'm
passabIe, and used as the main thorough
fare for the transportation of back farm
produce, will be completely improved,
allowing an easy and accessible means
of travel for farmers and others who
might use 1t, between any of the towns
located in that section, with their
points of destination. q
Prison rs over q month ago pitched
their camp in Leesburg and work on
the new short cut road was begun.
Where the main road turns right at a
point just beyond Bricksboro on the
road to Dorchester, surveyors were as
signed to the task of fixing a proper
grade for the continuation of the road.
There is a thick woods at that point.
Convicts will be set to work cutting
down trees and grubbing the scrub oak
for the clearance through which the
proposed new road will be laid. The
work has progressed to a considerable
extent, despite the depressing weather
and other climatic conditions under
which the men labor.
A little more than a mile through the
woods, the new roadwa will emerge
at a pointjust beyond Leesburg. When
completed it will afford a continuous
means of travel almost In a direct line
cutting off the detour for automobiles.
Thirty-seven ~convicts have been work
ing on the new road aud are making
considerable progress.
The advantages of the through-route,
rs outlined by the State Highway De-
partment engineers will be many. The
most important of these however will
be the elimination of two dangerous
railroad crossings and a sharp turn at
right angles to the road. To the casual
observer such things as a railroad cross
ing and a sharp turn are considered al
most negligible. The State Highway
Department proposes to eliminate such
sources of nuisance to the automobilist,
however, wherever possible, and the
work Low in progress on route 15, is
hut ankinsiance of observation-disclosures az
agement now in vogue in the creation
OF a first class State Highway system.
Such I'M provements in the matter of
road building are ever uppermost in
the minds of the road engineers and
the members of the New Jersey Com
mission. The fact that, at first glance,
Dorchester and Leesburg seem to be
out off the main highway of travel as
outlined in the proposed new route,
will not in any way take away from
these towns their share of the traffic
and resultant business. A sand road
which at present is can OF commune
ication for farmers in the back section
will be i'm proved, and will join with
the main highway, connecting with the
proposed new road or right angles, at a
point half way in the woods through
which the road is now being cut. Many
cities which transport their produc 8
over these roads will be benefited.
Route No. Is, upon completion will be
part of the Highway system to trans
verse South Jersey. Salem, Gloucester,
Atlantic, Cumberland and Cape May
Counties will be the immediate bene-
ficiaries of the route. Other points in
the state will accordingly benefit, as the
network of good roads will be opened
through the lower counties of the State,
giving access to points now almost is-
olated. The work has been begun, and
all haste compatible with good road n
struction will be employed.
-oCo-
Ano+har Wav