The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1919-06-27
new JERSEYS
HIGHWAY PLANS
All Government Restrictions on
Jersey Road Making Have
Been Removed.
FEDERAL AID OF se2o,231.2s
At Present Time Work Involving 79,-
447 Miles of Roads and Upward Of
100000 in Money Is Un-
der Construction.

der Construction.
Trenton. - All federal government
restrictions on the state highway de-
partment of New Jersey have been re-
moved, and the commission, through
its chairman, John w. Herbert, has
announced its plan to complete two
years of work during the building sea-
son of the present year. The commits
sion says that 1t confidently expects
that the close of the present season
will find at least 100 miles of new work
finished upon the most important of
the state highway systems. Until this
time the commission was restricted to
work to roads of military Importance.
At the present time work involving
79.447 miles of roads and upward of
81, 100000 in money is under construc-
ton. OF the mileage 70,1S9 is under
contract with private contractors at
prices aggregating S3,551, 1852, while
state labor is building 9,25S miles at a
cost of 1923, 445.
The large cost per mile for the latter
mileage is due to the great amount of
excavation and grading which the
work involves. To this work actually
under way can be added 12,9S5 miles
more, at an estimated cost of $931,-
| 1925 OF this mileage 46S miles will
be constructed by state labor, at a cost
estimated at 1894, 04611, while bids
will be received from private contrac-
tors and contracts awarded for the re-
naming S,305 miles during the next
few weeks. The state highway en-
gineer estimates that this work should
cost approximately $537, 1882. Here
again heavy excavation, grading,
drainage and other engineering prob
lens make for high average cost per
mile.
A summary of these facts shows
that there is now, or soon will be, I'M
der way upon the routes of the state
highway system a new construction
upon 92, 49, miles of highways, involv-
ing OUTLAWS of S5,006,093.6S.
These projects, which are % in num-
Der, will affect all but three (Routes
I, IL and 12) of the 10 routes of the
state highway system. Their compile
ton will have a profound and benefi-
cial influence upon the economic well
| fare of the state. Indeed it is not too
much to say that every county and
every city, town, borough, village and
township will feel the quickening i'm
;ulse of the improved transportation
h,, ~ tipe
| through of the commissions 1919 pro-
gram.
The work to be done on Routes 1. 2
and IL will provide traffic with first
class all the year around pavements
| throughout the entire distance from
Newark to Camden. The projects I'M
| der way or contemplated for Route
| will do the same for through traffic
running from Camden to Atlantic
City. The work prescribed for Route
will make safe and comfortable the
delightful and much used highway run
ming from Railway, in Route l, through
Perth Amboy. Keyport, Ashury Park,
over to Lakewood and then down
through Toms River, Barnegat and
Tuckerton to Absecon, there connect
ing with routes running to Atlantic
City and Cape May.
1t is on Section IA of Route 10,
however. that the commission viii un-
dertake during this years building
season the greatest engineering task
with which it will be confronted upon
the entire highway system. This Sec
ton embraces. IL miles of the route
which runs from Fort Lee Ferry on
the Hudson northwest to Paterson, a
construction is an imperative necessi-
| ty in order TO relieve the congestion of
| traffic, which in ever swelling volume
| is seeking entrance into and egress
| from the state at this point. Bids for
this work were advertised for on May
S, and the contract has been awarded
for S466,S97.15.
Upon the completion of the neces-
sary new construction on the highway
routes here discussed the commission
will at once take them over from coun-
ty and other subordinate Jurisdiction
into state control After this pro-
cedure such highways will ever after
be maintained and administered sole
ly by the state highway at state ex-
pense. The commission is now giving
much attention to the upbuilding of a
permanent maintenance staff. whose
duty it shall be to preserve the state
highways at all times in top notch con-
dition.
The projects enumerated for the 9th
err routes which already have been. or
soon will be, undertaken under the
1919 work plans do not contemplate
the immediate or early resumption of
control by the State Highway Commits
sion. They are rather designed to
keep open and disable these important
thoroughfares pending the time that
the commission has the resources
available to put them in first class
shape throughout their entire length
and breadth. This is particularly true
for such a route as No s, where work
to be done viii provide travellers
through Essex, Passaic and Morris
counties with continuous smooth pave
ment from Montclair to Butler and
thence to Stockholm and Sussex.
Perhaps one of the most interesting
L,.....I n,,& Cor Horo,aee