The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1919-06-20
BIG PROGRAM
| FOR HIGHWAYS
Made Possible by Lifting of Fed
eraI Restrictions on Road
Department.
TWO YEARS WORK IN ONE.
Expect to Complete 100 Miles of New
Roadway This decentralization
Given to UpbuiIding of Perra-
nent Maintenance staff.

Trenton.-All federal government re-
strictions on the state highway depart
ment of New Jersey have been remov-
ed. and the commission, through its
chairman. John w. Herbert, announced
its plan TO complete two years of work
during the building season of the pres
ent year The commission says that
ii 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 commits
sion was restricted to work on roads
of military importance:
AT the present time work involving
79.447 miles of roads and upwards of
S4,000,000 in money is under construc-
ton. OF the mileage 10.1S9 is under
contract with private contractors at
prices aggregating $3.551 1862, while
state labor is building 925S miles at a
cost of $523, 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 1885 miles
more at an estimated cost of S931,-
1928. OF this mileage 1858 miles will
be constructed by state labor at a cost
estimated at 1894. 046.11. while bids
will be received from private contrac-
tors and contracts awarded for the re-
naming 1906 miles during the next
few weeks The state highway en-
gineer estimates that this work should
cost approximately $537 1862. 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. under
way upon the routes of the state high
way system, a new construction upon
90 432 miles of highways involving OFT
lays of S5,006,093.6S.
Total of % Projects.
These projects, which are % IN num-
Der, will affect all but three (Routes Z,
i and 12), of the Is routes of the state
highway system. Their completion
fuence upon the economic welfare of
the state Indeed, it is not too much
TO say that every county and every
city, town. borough, village and town
ship will feel the quickening impulse
of the improved transportation facili-
ties afforded by the putting through of
the commissions 1919 program.
The work TO be done on Routes l,
and 10 will provide traffic with first
class all the year round pavements
throughout the entire distance from
Newark to Camden. The projects un-
der way or contemplated for Route 3
will do the same for through traffic
running from Camden to Atlantic City.
The work prescribed for Route will
make safe and comfortable the delight
full and much used highway running
from Railway in Route / through Perth
Amboy. Keyport, Asbury Park, over to
Lakewood and then down through
Toms River, Barnegat and Tuckerton
to Absecon, there connecting with
routes running to Atlantic City and
Cape May.
1t is on Section "A of Route 10, how
ever, that the commission will under
take this years building season, the
greatest engineering task with which
II will be confronted upon the entire
highway system This section EN-
braces IL miles of the route, which
runs from Fort Lee Ferry, on the Hud-
son northwest, TO Paterson, a distance
of 11S miles. Its immediate construc-
ton is an imperative necessity in or
der to relieve the congestion of traffic
which in ever swelling volume is seek
ing entrance into and egress from the
STATE AT this point. Bids for this work
We're advertised for on May s, and the
contract has been awarded for $780,
S97.15.
To Pass to State Control
Upon completion of the necessary
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 contrOi After this proce-
dure such highways will ever be main
tanned and administered solely by the
state highways at state expense The
commission is now giving much atten-
ton 10 the upbuilding of Il permanent
maintenance staff, whose duty il shall
be to preserve the state highways AT
all times III top notch condition.
The projects enumerated for the 9th
er routes, which already have been, or
soon will be, undertaken under the
1919 work plans, do not contemplate
the immediate or early assumption 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 route as No. s, where work
to be done will provide travellers
through Essex, Passaic and Morris
counties with continuous smooth pave