Milford chronicle., 1920-02-13
DELAWARE ROADS
STATE BUSINESS
POLITICAL MACADAM" GIVES WAY TO
PRACTICAL CONCRETE SURFACES
in THIS STATE.
new STATE AID PROJECT
THE PRIMARY SYSTEM, AS OUTLINED.
COVERS 27O MILES, OF WHICH 73
NILES ARE NOW COMPLETE.

The Washington Times contains the
following article regarding Delaware S
comprehensive roadbuilding program
What it means for a State 10 take
hold of its road problem from State
point Of view is set forth in the Story
of Delaware Highways, just publish
ed by the Delaware State Program.
The Delaware State Program is a Co
operative agency representing five Of
fetal State departments, one of which
is the highway department.
About five years ago there was not
one mile of really permanent road in
the modern meaning of the term, in
the State of Delaware. Today there
is under construction or immediate
" planned, a well conceived plan OF
primary north to south- State roads,
supplemented by an extensive system
of State aid roads, running east to
west and connecting with the State
system True. the roads are not COM
pleted. and not all of them are yet un-
der contract. The State primary sys-
TEN. as outlined, covers 270 miles, OF
which 73 miles are now complete
Like most of the other States of the
country in their modern rOad-build-
ing programs, Delaware is a convert
to the concrete road. There are many
arguments for the concrete road, but
the outstanding one is the small cost
of maintenance. The experience Of
Wayne county, Michigan, a pioneer in
trying out the concrete road, seems
to have droved this, to say nothing OF
the later experience of other States
and communities. In the Delaware
highway pamphlet it is set forth that
the cost of maintaining one mile of
concrete per year does not exceed an
average of 500 per mile-a vivid con-
trast to the sums, ranging up to ST.
500 or beyond, per mile, which are
still being expended in many commun-
tiles for road maintenance
Road building as a State enter
prise is still not very fully developed
in this country. The Delaware State
Highway Department was not estab-
lished until 1917. In Delaware, as in
other States, the work that normally
would have been done during the past
few years was greatly held up by the
wartime cost of labor and materials,
and by the rulings of the War Indus
trial Board. In view of these things,
the Delaware story of State roads is
a story of distinct accomplishment
"One very interesting point brought
out in the pamphlet is the growth OF
the State aid idea. Inevitably, when
a State takes hold of its roads as /
state matter, it comes at once to rec I
ognize the need of an effective State .
aid system. Up to the present time, /
Delaware has been apprOpriating as
State aid for road building only $780,
BOO. $4,000 for each county. This I
year the State Highway Department
is making available for State aid
road work $3.50, ,0OO-S250,0 900 for each
county.
Another interesting point that
comes out in the Delaware pamphlet
is the increase in State funds for road
building through automobile receipts.
In Delaware State road funds come
rom two sources-incOme tax reVe-
lue over $25O,OO0 (Which is very
,malD and automobile receipts, in
,luding fees for registration Of vehic-
es and fees for the licenses of driv-
,rs. 1t is a notable fact that the au-
omobile receipts for nine months OF
he wear 1919 were almost eight
lines WudL lu6g W6lC lOl lAlC SAIAAS
ear 1914, and more than double what {
hey were in 1917. The volume Of au- I
omobile traffic works both ways. 1t (
makes modern permanent roads more
han ever necessary, but it also pro- :
-ides a not inconsiderable source OF Y
evenue with which to build and to !
maintain them.
"Of especial interest to engineers !
nd road builders everywhere will be
hat section of the Delaware highway S
amphlet which deals with the organ {
zation of the department and the pro- S
edure and methods of work. The a
ime is past when a State can per- t
etuate with safety the political ma I
adam road of old times. Modern 4
Dads are expensive, and the citizens I
f the State are going to notice it if v
hey do not last Among the policies y
oted in the Delaware pamphlet for O
good roads are: the engag-
lg of reliable contractors, no matter Il
-hether they live inside the State or a
ut; State responsibility for testing {
ne materials used in the roads in t
le States own laboratory, and good S
lspection. p
The chief engineer of the Della n
are highway system is Charles M. Ii
pham. Before he becomes head of a
le State highway system he con- o
ructed the du Pont Boulevard in e