Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1919-05-02
URGES BRIDGE ACTION
State Highway Engineer Points
Out Necessity Of Early Action
Relative to County Bridge
Here.
Ru Special Correspondent.

b. Special Correspondent.
TRENTON, May State Highway
Engineer William G. Thompson yes
terday pointed out to the state high
way commission the imperative nee
essity of early action relative to the
bridge running between Perth and
South Amboy, which is now in
wretched condition and entailing
maintenance and operating expenses
out of all proportion to the service it
renders.
Mr.. Thompson also submitted pro-
gram of the work which, in his judge
ment should be undertaken upon the
state highway system during the year
of 1920. Foremost among the pro
jects recommended are seven sections
of highway aggregating total or
about thirteen miles on routes one,
two, three and four, which, when
completed will furnish unbroken
stretches of smooth, hard state high
way from Newark to Camden, Newark
to Atlantic City and Newark to Sea
Bright.
Route one runs to Railway and
thence to New Brunswick and route
four runs from Railway, south,
through Perth and South Amboys,
over the Amboys bridge and thence
to Monmouth. Ocean and Atlantic
counties, ending at Absecon, near At
ldnLlc City.
The road through Middlesex and
Monmouth counties comprising a sec
ton of route three runs along the
Raritan, Prince and lower New York
bays, through northern Monmouth
county. over the Highlands thence to
Sea Bright.
The step by which the state de-
partment will act in the Amboys
bridge matter was made possible by
the passage of Senate bill AZ. Senator
Thomas Browns message, which re-
quires the state department to take
over the Amboys and Albany street
bridges in Middlesex county from
November s, 1919. This is the first
official note made since the bill pass
ed, of work to be done by the state.
That a new structure to replace the
sSiilapidated frame bridge at present
in use is contemplated is indicated
through the recommendation of the
engineer and likewise by the fact that
the commission has sent to the New
Jersey Shipbuilding & Dredging Com
pany of Perth Amboy. their thanks
for the company's offer in connection
with the new bridge contemplated
there. The present structure is large
ly on property owned by the COM
pany which is the r. G. Packard in
terestS of Bayonne, and it has been
stated that If the new bridge is moved
from the location of the present
bridge and the westerly end of the
present bridge is vacated, so as to en-
able them to make improvements to
their property, they will donate
large portion of the property neces-
sary between the westerly bank and
Scott avenue, South Amboy, for the
new highway. The commission has
advised the company that when it
takes up the matter of the new bridge
it will consult with the firm.
When condemnation proceedings
against the Packard company were
heard before a commission at Perth
Amboy two years ago the company
pleaded that they were desirous of
constructing a shipbuilding plant at
the site, which is on the southerly
bank of the Raritan river. They were
defeated in the action in that the
award of the commission was for
$3.50, while they had asked for
sum many times in excess of that.