Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-02-16
WEDNESDAY. FEBRUARY. 10, 1921.
NEw MARKET STREET BRIDGE

A NKw MARKET STREET BRIDGE.
'rhs hili which has been introduced
N the Legislature authorizing a loan
.a provide for the construction OF new
ridge NJ Market street deserves the
-upport Of tho united business inter
ste ~ our city, which would benefit by
modern struoture replacing the an
lent ono which now bears the burden
II al xohlcuiar traffic from Philadel-
th,s and way stations.
Hhe present bridge was bunt four
decades ago. Wilmington was only an
average sized town then. It is a great
i.v todny. There was little traffic from
.he other SIDE. save the passage OF
alessure vehicies today the Philsdel-
mia highway Is crowded with trucks,
aasslnc "a and from Wilmington. When
he bridge was conceived horse-drawn
Aaaons and bugsies only were used:
NOW i Is thc fvo-ton truok Which u
.ontinualIy rumblina over IL Then the
other side of tho Rrandywine was un-
lsveicpcd now number Of subdivi-
ions are opening NJ in the suburbs-
..ddtns % the traffic which must pass
IN this business artery.
This present bridge IS totally inca
.ah.e 81 serving The community. II is
nly Z question ~ a few months when
WIN have 10 bo repaired ana recon
struction work can never make it the
aridso which it should be- The WASH
nston bridge. OF course. will not be
spened for months, and In the mean
while tho only rouls 10 the citys S ousi-
a... hsa,t ~ ov~ this sntiauated
structure.
The onls logical solution ~ this traf-
&c problem Is the erection of new
oriGge-and at Market street This as
N the route of the LAncoln highway.
ana the county cannot afford 70 neglect
mat highway. and construct 8 more
sar,lceab.e bridge. It Is true that
lridge bul.t. say further 70 the east,
would aid the development OF that sec-
aon q the c!ty i, Is . lie hoped that
4 some future date that bridge can be
uu,. Bui TIE problem which faces
IS today is no, how to improve a given
section AZ the cIts, but how 70 take
are cf tho trafHc which enters our
1iiy oveT our main highway
Tractioally al of our tramt from up
state Il down-state passes over this
arsdce i j. the shortest way. Al
tourists gong from Philadelphia to
Washington. Baltimore. and elsewhere,
Ise II. i is or the direct line The
majority Of business men living on the
.theT SIDE of tho Rraadywine must
ross il q get 10 their work. This
orc bridge which the city cannot
10 without To allow Il 70 fall into dis
pair. and 20 divert certain traffic over
-ircuitous route would cause an enor-
nous ioss of time and money TO all
.oncerned. and would ultimately cause
much business and much interstate
traffic 10 pass elsewhere. Tell the tour
81 that ne cannot ride through the
main entrance OF the city and he viii
decide 10 ride around wilmington. and
pass the day and spend his money else
wher.
What Wilmington must have is .
new bridge at this point wide enough
md strong enough to accommodate
he increased traffic which we may ex-
pect 10 witness within the next three
r four decades. We must build not
My FOR present requirements, but for
suture necessities This means. Of
course. that a new bridge with ap-
pruaches which VIII Go away with the
dangerous corner-turns now existing,
must be built
The Market street bridge today is
dangerous because n its approaches
These approaches p are creating q traffic
menace a~ use of the bridge increases
The motorist must make three distinct
and sharp turns-almost at an angle
~ a. degrees each-in passing over
these approaches The use Of heavy
t.pckS over fbfS route ircroasae -
hazard of accidents. This new bridge
when constructed, should be so planned
that the approaches to the bridge proper
VIII form gentle and continuous curve,
which viii permit Of the utmost amount
OF speed compatible with traffic laws
The dangerous turns must be elm
mated
There is only one serious argument
which can be advanced against the con
s'ruclou of new bridge at this point
IL means that truck traffic may clutter
up Market street But viii such bo the