The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1921-04-22
STATE WILL BUILD SIXTEEN
FOOT ROAD TO NEWLAND
Commissioner Hart Satisfied That State Should
Take Over Newland Road, Work To
Proceed Without Delay.

I News. of stupendous import-
ance to Elizabeth City broke in
the par1ors of the Southern Ho=
tel in this city yesterday when
VIM. A. Hart of Tarboro told
group of Elizabeth City men
representing the Chamber of
Commerce that he would recon-
mend state construction of six
teen foot road from Elizabeth
City to the upper end of Pasquo-
tank county and the continuation
of that road thru Gates County
to Winton, where. connection
would be made with the state
highway system.
VIM. A. Hart is the State Highway
Commissioner of the First North Car
olina Highway District in which Pas
quotank and all other northeastern
North Carolina counties are located.
Mr.. Hart is a practical, hard-headed
business man of few words. He is slow
to commit himself to a project and he
admits that he is hard to move after
he has committed himself He is COM
mitted to the project which will put
Elizabeth City on the state highway sys-
tenn with a road from Elizabeth City
to the upper part of Pasquotank coun-
ty, thru the three miles of Dismal
Swamp between Tadmore in Pasquo-
tank and Acorn Hill in Gates, and on
to the Chowan river at Winton.
Mr.. Hart came to Elizabeth City yes
terday to investigate the, project for
himself. For weeks engineers of the
State Highway Commission have been
over the ground and have all the geo.
graphical and Typographical data neces-
sary for the project. Yesterday Mr..
Hart went over the ground himself. He
is convinced that the state owes it to
Elizabeth City and its territory north
of Albemarle Sound to build the road
in question and give this territory an
outlet to the capital and to the noun
tains of the state.
The State Highway Commission meets
Tuesday, April 26, and Commissioner
Hart's recommendation will be made at
that meeting. Immediate action is ex-
pected
This is the road familiarly known
here as the Newland Road. The Pas
quotank Highway Commission began
the construction of this road a few
months ago, building a nine foot brick
road. Three miles of this road have been
completed. Commissioner Hart says
the part of the road that has already
been built must be widened when the
state takes it over. This will be done
and Pasquotank will get a 16-foot road
all the way,
The fact that none of the $5OOOO,-
10000 bonds authorized by the last
General Assembly have been sold will
not delay the construction of the Pas
quotank road when the State Highway
Commission takes it over. The Pas
quotank Highway Commission is pre-
pared to finance he project until the
states bonds have been sold, at which
time the state would reimburse the
county for the money advanced.
The taking over of the Newland Road
Dy Cue 0CdCe Will release 1'dSQuOCdnK s
own road building funds for the con-
struction of other roads in the county.
Mr.. Hart was met upon his arrival
here by r. G. Job, secretary of the
Chamber of Commerce; Walter L. CO.
hoon, attorney for the State Highway
Commission; A. B. Houtz, o. F. Gilbert,
and F. F. Cohoon of the Pasquotank
Highway Commission; N. Burfoot,
chairman of the Board of County Com
w. G. Gather, w. P. Duff,
Taylor Grandy, J. T. McCabe and 9TH
ers representing the Chamber of Com
merce. After going over the proposed
road Commissioner Hart was given an
reception in the Chamber of
Commerce rooms and luncheon at the
Southern Hotel. He was we'll pleased
with Elizabeth City and such of the
country as he saw in his brief stay.