The Penn's Grove record., 1920-09-24
Freebolders Saw North Jersey Roads

oar OF fGeeuOluGIo was ONNA W.
County roads in former years but TINS
wear they decided to get a broader
view of work done and needed to be
done by going to see what has been
done in North Jersey. The road ana
bridge problems are the greatest the
County and State have to contend with
because of the big increase IN travel,
not only for commerce, but also Tor
pleasure in automobiles.
The Board started on their tour last
Monday morning at 7 o'clock. The
marty consisted of Freeholders Gray,
Gaventa, Borton, Heron Lounsbury,
Patrick. Reeves Powers; Engineers
Keasbey and Sparks, H. N. Mangan,
n n. Skinner, Clerk Ochs, Preston 3.
Foster, w. A. Summerill, Allen Louns-
bury. Road Supervisor Patrick and j.
s. Foster. Freeholders Layman, Nc
carson and Smith were detained at
home because of business. They went
in automobiles and frequent stops
were made to take particular notice Oh
the conditions of the roads, some
worn to a FRAGILE, others under con-
struction and some in good condition.
The Lincoln highway from the City
limit, Philadelphia, to Trenton, Is most
Nv macadam. 1t has been worn badly
by heavy traffic. From Trenton thru
Lawrenceville, to Princeton, the ma
cadam recently laid with bitumlnous
top is in good condition, but the old
roads are worn badly especially as the
run got nearer New York.
After dinner in old Nassau Inn IN
the quaint old College town OF Pr1nce
ton. the u was made to Railway,
Elizabeth. thence westward thru Mad
ison. Morristown and Dover to Lake
Hopatcong, where the tired tourists
rested in the Alamac on the mountain
top where the temperature was so cooi
that nearly all the summer soJournefs
had fled. An old time hickory nTe
in a fire place reminded all OF the OLD
methods our forefathers used TO d
n side by while cold on the otner.
But it takes off the chill nicely when
there be no other method.
A State Highway engineer accom-
panied the party from Princeton to
Elizabeth and explained the construc-
ton of route 13, section 4, State Hlgh-
way of Portland cement concrete at
$50 a square yard. The excavation
cost $3.50 a cubic yard. The contract
nrice is S1O4, 234.98 for 1.76 miles.
Some cost, but it is the most durable
under the heaviest traffic between
Trenton and New York. Another sec
tion of concrete in Middlesex county
cost for excavation $1.90 a cubic yard,
for concrete $3.44 a square yard. The
contract price for .28 of a mile IS
S34,466.95. =.
Another section below Railway is
being rebuilt with concrete at SZ.lo a
cubic yard for excavation and sou a
square yard for concrete. A section
between Morristown to Morris Plains
was built by the Highway Commission
at a cost of 1920 to $2.70 a square
ward. Comparisons with above cost
this wear shows how the cost of roads
is increasing.
A section from Morris Plains to
Denville, Warrenite on macadam Gun
dation, accepted December 9th l919'
cost for Warrenite surface $3.50 a
square yard. 1t is a fine road but
costly.
In Morris county the Highway Com
mission has a camp of Sc State pr1s-
oners constructing a new highway
which will shorten the route across
North Jersey about ten miles. The
present routes are mostly over old In
dian trails which grew to wagon roads,
long and circuitous.
Tuesday morning the run was from
Lake H%optacong, and Phillipsburg to
Allentown, Pa. Below Allentown on
William Penn Highway is the finest
piece of concrete road found on the
Journey. 1t is REINFORCED, has been
laid for our years and the wear is
hardly noticeable.
Many of the roads were built with
macadam some years ago by bonding
the Counties. The increase in traffic
by numerous automobiles and heavy
cargoes in trucks has worn the roads
out before the bonds were paid.
Where bituminous tops were put on
the heavy traffic and frosts of winter
have made the roads ragged and full
of dents and holes which make an all
day tour of 100 miles not one of Gid
ing pleasure as in a moving picture
show.
The above prices will open the eyes
of taxpayers to the cost of rebuilding
roads with durable concrete. The
question arises, where is the money to
come from?
The thinking citizens and officials
have come to the conclusion that
there must be a law limiting the
weight and loads in traffic trucks.
The taxpayers should not build and
keep in repairs roads to run freight
cars on. The people who have the
money to buy automobiles at the high
cost of thousands of dollars and high
priced gasoline, should be taxed more
to keep up the cost of roads. AS the
old saying is "Those who dance should
pay the fiddler"
The Pennsylvania State Highway
Commission and the State Police are
co-ordinating on the project to restrict
the heavy truck loads. Public senti-
is growing rapidly in New Jer-
sey for a higher tax On all auto cars
and less on the property owners.
One of the noticeable things on the
tour was the few horse-drawn vehicles
and the hundreds of automobiles going