Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-04-17
High Cost of Roadbuilding.

The State Highway Commission, IN
session at Dover. Monday, rejected the
few bids for road construction IN Della
ware. received in response to its request,
and decided 10 advertise for new bids,
to he opened May H. Only SLY bids were
received and three of these were not
opened because they were invalidsted
hv failure to fully comply with the re-
quircmcntS Of tho advertisement. The
three bids that were opened were re-
jccted because tho members of the com
mission considered them too high.
And no wonder For while the com
mission rcfralned from making the fig
urcS public "A mistake. by the way. rs
the people arc entitled to all information
Of this character in connection with pub
liz work it is understood the bids for
rebuilding the Philadelphia pike from
Wilmington to tho State line were about
$4,000 Il mile The distance is between
six and seven miles The bids for build
ing the State road between Dover and
SMYRNA were about $4,000 a mile and
the distance is a little more than II miles.
10 say that these figures are prohibitive
is not out Of the way The people would
hardly relish paying moro than half
million dollars for = good road between
SMYRNA and Dover
The Philadelphia pike proposition i
matter for very serious consideration
The pike between the city limits and the
State line has been q sore trouble for
many years Even when il was under
the control of toll gate corporation
there were continual complaints q its
unfit condition Now that it has he
come public property. and il is the duty
Of the public 10 keep il in good travelling
condition, the proposition is more serious
than ever The people demand that il be
put III condition TT q travel over. and
when the authorities ct down 10 "details
in respect or lis thorough rebuilding. they
are confronted With co-f Of about Sllo,-
600 { mile
To reconstruct tie Philadelphia pike
from Wilmington t. The Pennsylvania
State line at such a hld would mean the
expenditure Of more than 100000, 10
say nothing Of the additional cost Of
rcpaving the upper part OF Market street
III this city. in order 10 provide suitable
connections Yet tho sum OF 100000
was seriously proposed. less than ten
years ago III the Legislature OF Della
ware, a> the amount Of a bond issue 10
construct q complete highway from one
end OF the state 10 the other Tins com
part>on shows how the cost OF roadoulid
ing ha> increased during the past decade
Now that II le known positively that
the reconstruction OF the Philadelphia
pike Is 10 be q costly operation. under the
best conditions. II Is reasonable to hold
that the State Highway Commission,
before taking final action in respect Of
rebuilding the pike, should give consid-
Grafton to the proposition Of road to the
east OF the pike along the more level coun-
Try Of the Delaware rIver front, to extend
from Shellpot TO Namaans creek II
is undenlablc that such a road would make
Il much better thoroughfare than the
pike. with It's heavy grades so costly
10 pave and SO costly 10 maintain IN good
travelling condition but this matter of
preference Is not everything that must
b. taken into consideration
The construction Of tins proposed river
road. to take the place Of the Phlladel-
phia pike also would be costly PROPOSE
ton The actual building Of the high
way probably would be lessened. but
before the work was started, the very
important matter OF securing property
for the right Of way would have to be
met Land all along the route OF this
proposed new road is assessed at high
figures little of II at less than thou
sand dollars an acre-and it may be /
depended upon that wneh il came to the |
matter Of purchases, or damages under |
condemnation, the owners Of the prop |
erty would not be modest And as much
of the right Of way would involve diagonal |
cuts across properties, the damages
r. ined would be higher as that kind Of
+ p op~rty rs is in lcavirc