Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-04-04
PHIL LADELPH|A PIKE
MAY GIVE WAY To
LOW-GRAOE ROAD
Project to be Suggested to State
Commission Which Would
Avoid Hills.
WOULD SKIRT THE RIVER

With a view to obviating the many
difficulties confronting traffic using the
Philadelphia turnpike, eSpcc ialIy snce IL
has become one of the chief freight arteries
OF the East, movement s on loot ~
was learned today, the object OF which
is To take up with the State Highway
Commission a project TO lay out an entire
ly new road between Wilmington and the
PENNSYLVANIA State line, nearer the river,
which would avoid practically all of the
hills that now must bc negotiated.
The recent demand on transportation
that Is being relieved by the medium OF the
auto truck has somewhat altered highway
designing and location. Before the high
WAYS were outlined for freight transporta-
ton, grades under so did not seem to be
of serious consequence or necessarily
uneconomic With the creation of the
motor truck carrying net loads OF from
FIVE to fifteen tons, il has been proven that
it Is more costly to haul over roads made
up Of heavy grades than over roads OF
low grades.
The area between Trenton and Whining
ton is one Of the greatest industrial
centres in the country and the possibilities
arc practically without limit. Recent
meetings in Philadelphia have proposed
individual ideas Of development for the
section between Trenton and Wilmington,
and it has been shown that a low grade
highway can be laid out and constructed
between Trenton and the Delaware line.
II has been suggested that the great
part Of tho Industrial freight that would bc
hauled to and from points between VII
mington and Trenton would he hauled by
motor trucks over the highways This
demands low grade highways and the pre-
lminarv steps have already been taken
about the location Of the highway from
Trenton to the Delaware line.
The preliminary plan for this industrial
centre south Of the Pennsylvania line
has been delayed, but considerable move
ment is now on foot to continue the dc
velopnent this side Of the Delaware line
as far south rs Wilmington, and It is de-
sired that in this development there
should be low grade highway, which
would not only be capable Of taking the
ordinary traffic, but would carry the freight
freight traffic economically.
A suggestion has been made that
road be laid out from the Delaware Inc,
near Naaman'S Greek, 70 Sheilpot Park.
the location of this road being cast of the
ridge Of hills and being nearer to the
Delaware river This would mean that the
new road would not follow the present line
Of the Philadelphia Pike, but would be
located nearer the river, where the grades
would he much lower and the location
would be nearer the water front. and thus
nearer the industries that are bound to
come The grades Of this road would be
much better than the present Philadel-
phia pike and the distance would not be
very~1luch greater.
II Is understood thag different organlza-
tions are making study Of the industrial
development Of the land between Phila-
dephia and Wilmington, and this study
viii include the location Of heavy freight
road Of low grades along the river, which.
it is said, Will be presented 10 the State
Highway Department with the pos
sibiit> in view of abandoning the present
plan Of placing q ostly pavement on the
Philadelphia pike, and placing the high
type pavement Of the newly lOcated road.