Evening journal., 1918-01-07
lCnnilnned frnm Flrst 20


toward comprehensive system Of
Improvement Of feeder roads.
As TO widths Of rights OF way, tng-
necr Upham recommends that nothng
less than 60 feet width be acquired in
the open country. and an sO-feet width
in towns and villages. Through towns
a beaulncation scheme of parking Is
included The least width Of actual
roadway contemplated is is feet OF
metal with shoulders s feet wide on
each side or a 32-foot roadway in all.
nanked by li-foot drainage channels
on each side The greatest width of
actual roadbcd contemplated is - feet
with shoulders 4 feet wide, or 40 feet
OF actual roadbed in AN, flankcd by To-
foot draining channels on each side
Through towns pavement 40 feet
wide is recommended.
Sixiy-nne miles of the maiu high
way trunk from Milford To- Wilmington
Will be built at the expense OF Gen
eral T. Coleman dupont If the condi-
tions he stipulated are fulfilled by the
Highway Commission-the construction
of the dupont Boulevard as originally
surveyed from tho Apenzellar farm,
south of Milford, 20 Milford, a distance
of five miles.
As 10 materials of which the state
Highway should be constructed Engi-
ncer Upham recommends that all
roads radiatng from Wilmington for
a distance Of four miles should be
constructed Of "sidc-hil brick" on six
inch concrete base and the remainder
of the Philadelphia pike he recon-
mends should be any satisfactory
pavement on a siX-inch concrete base.
The minimum width of that road he
recommends should be rs feet with
shoulders S feet wide on each side, or
81 feet wide in all.
For the Smyrna-Doyer road, Engi-
neer Upham recommends concrete
highway at least i6 feet wide exclusive
of shoulders, and at least five inches
deep.
IN Sussex county Mr.. Upham sug-
cests a fvo-inch concrete base. with
tuo-inch asphalt and local sand sur
face as best fitted for conditions and
durability.
Engineer Upham gives considerable
attention TO the situation at Penny
hin outside Wilmington. lie discusses
several plans of Improvement, nclud-
ing the cutting off Of or q feet at The
top and a 3 or Z feet an at The bottom;
change i'm grade by cutting of the top,
cutting Off the projection and filling in
at the bottom; the construction OF
viaduct from Penny Hill to south Of
Shellpot Park. and the construction of
road for heavy hauling TO crcumscribc
Penny Hill. leaving The present road
route for passenger traffic.
As TO costs, Engineer Ipham csii-
mates that brick construction OF tho
Philadelphia pike would cost $4,000 a
mile, and concrete would cost $4,000
a mile The Dover-Smyrna road be fig
ures would cost $4,000 a mile. and Sus-
sex roads $4,000 a mile
Mr. Upham recommends that no roads
already built be taken over by the
state for maintenance as yet but that
the state devote IT'S energies at the out
set to constructing highways essential
for war purposes or of prime import
ancc 10 the people of Delaware
Engineer Upham's report I'm fun is as
follows:
december 81, 1917.
Governor John q. Townsend. Jr.,
Chairman State Highway Department
Dover. Delaware
My dear Governor Townsend
Chapter GO OF the Laws Of Delaware
an Act creating the state Highway De
pariment and establishing a system of
state highways. requires that your En-
ginecr. after acquiring maps. plans and
securing traffic information through
out The state, shall recommend 20 the
Department n program for the con-
version of roads or portions of roads
into state highways and annually there
after he shall make similar recommen-
dations for the completion and inn
provement Of the state highway system.
The following program is one that
would be recommended under normal
conditions. 10 is not supposed, of
course. that il can be carried out in its
entirety IN the immediate future. es-
pecially IN view of existing conditions.
The conditions are changing rapidly,
however. so that fun years program
for normal conditions viii he submitted
for consideration Of The Commission in
case the demands necessitate execution.
Tn view Of this it is recommended that
the highway work be completed in the
order Of ITS importance, primarily as
war measure.
At "a recent road congress held by
Highway Commissioners and Engineers
af Richmond Virginia. the Importance
of Constructing the essential roads was
forcibly brought out And when the
important part that The roads played
in the battles Of Ncrdun and Paris is
thoroughly realized. The necessity for
constructing essential highways can
readily be seen.
Delaware Is located within The indus
trial area. This same area, north of the
Potomac and east OF Chicago has been
for some time congcstcd with freight
irafilc. Consideration of this shows that
The roads within this area will be
called upon 90 play ON important part
IN relieving this congestion. thus as
sisting ihe Industries In carrying on
their work Already the railroads are
urging that whenever possible. all
freight should be shipped by motor
truck. This places the highway as
supplementary essential The condition
Of these essential roads Will play
large part in the economic program,
which just now demands serious att
ieniion and best judgment.
IN order TO save expense, and in view
Of the fact that the construction work
IN 1918 is at this time indefinite, this
report will be made general and include
only general estimates Details in con-
structlon and specific estimates will be
prepared for the roads chosen. as the
FIRST TO be constructed.
On account OF the present conditions.
highway engineers have hann in great