Evening journal., 1919-01-24
CONTINUED from page one.)

complete records IN the form Of re-
ports from the organization Of the de-
partment. ! would recommend that this
report be printed in pamphlet form for
distribution.
Traffic Survey.
"In order TO carry out the provisions
Of the Act and 10 secure additional In
formation for designing a system OF
highways, a traffic survey was taken
at points thruout the entire State. Aver
age results Of this were tabulated and
Is shown by Figure No. 1. This dia-
gram shows the classification and
density OF traffic at the places named
"This seems TO have been the FIRST
time that q traffic survey giving the
comparison OF traffic for the entire
State, had been taken. These results
are both interesting and instructive. and
show In a general way the comparative
amounts Of traffic in different roads In
the State. Il is the intention 10 period
ically take traffic counts which will
be used In future years as a basis in ar
rlving at the economic maintenance OF
the roads.
Material Survey.
survey was made covering that portion
OF the State that was adjacent to pro-
posed State highways. This consisted
in securing representative samples OF
the local material and testing the
quality.
while very little material along
these proposed lines was found to be
suitable for high class construction,
there was one instance adjoining Con-
tract No. (Dover-Cheswold) where
local material was found and later used
In construction. The value OF this sur
vey may be brought out by the fact
that the contractor who used this ma
terial bid considerably lower for road
way surface than the contractor on the
adjoining Contract No. (Cheswold-
Smyrna) which Is In the same locality
but not accessible 10 this supply.
THE success Of the survey would
warrant that this be extended on a
larger scale and the local material in
ell parts OF the State be investigated.
T. C. duPont's Proposal.
an the fall OF 1917, Mr.. T. Coleman
dupont, Of Wilmington, In a letter TO
the State Highway Department, stated
that he, as president Of the Coleman du-
Pont Road, Inc. would absndon the
construction OF the dupont Boulevard,
when the same was completed as far as
the Appenzellar Farm. and pay for the
construction by the State Of a road
from Ellendale 10 Wilmington, provided
that the State Highway Department
would agree 10 continue this highway
approved, and north of Milford TO the
city Of WilminEton. The route north
Of Milford 10 follow such route and be
OF such width and character OF con-
struction as the State Highway Depart
ment shall determine, provided the cost
Of any mile OF roadway does not exceed
$4,000. This offer was accepted by the
State Highway Department and a pre-
liminary survey and design for the con-
struction OF this road commenced i'm
medlately
'It was decided that contracts in the
construction OF this road should be car
ried on by the same routine as the
State Highway contracts, but that the
payments should be made from Mr.. du-
Pont 10 the contractor through some
bank, upon estimate made and approved
by the chairman and chief engineer.
approximately fifteen li5) miles OF
this road Is now under contract The
road construction paid for by Mr.. du-
Pont are Contracts Nos. 1. 2 and 8,
which are between Glendale and MIL
ford; and Dover and Smyrna.
Difficulties in 1918.
Because Of the conditions resulting
on account Of the war, It was doubt
ful II any road work at all could be
carried on during 1918. There was a
great scarcity Of labor as we'll as lack
Of materials, and the car shortage made
it appear that very little, II any, road
work would be completed
in normal times a program Of eighty
1907 miles would be commenced. but on
account Of the existing conditions, a
tentative program Of approximately
forty l40) miles was laid out, and the
engineering department carried on tho
work Of preparing plans and estimates
in anticipation and preparation OF
any construction that might be decided
upon. This forty l40) miles Of road
was located on our main lines Of travel
In different sections Of the State.
Numerous conferences at Washing
ton with the Bureau OF Public Roads.
and the Highways Transport Committee
and War Department made 1t seem evi-
dent that it was impossible to obtain
any guarantee OF securing sufficient
labor and materials 10 make even a
start In road work, but IN the grounds
that these departments would make
every effort 10 assist Delaware in Sc
curing sufficient labor and materials
for any contracted roads. the Engin-
eering Department continued 10 get
ready the plans and preliminary esti-
mates for the reduced program.
EARLY In the year, letters from the
War Industries Board, who had charge
Of practically all material, requested
that roads OF only economic or mill
tary importance should be constructed.
Because II could be demonstrated that
our main roads under construction were
either military or economic, this again
was assurance that Delaware road
work could proceed during 1918; there
fore the contracts covering the reduced
program Of approximately forty (40)
miles Of road were advertised, and bids
were received April i5. 1918.
Maintenance.
g" Immediately after the creation OF
the State Highway Department, the di-
vision OF maintenance was organized.
This division is without doubt one Of
the most important and essential re-
quisites Of highway work. Il was or
ganized not only TO take care Of the
dupont Road that was turned over to
the State Highway Department after
the Department was organized, but lt
was created al an early period so that
when the department added many miles
Of completed road TO the system OF
highways, the maintenance division