Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-06-03
WHY NOT ALL CONCRETE?

No objection can be raised to the repaving of the Lin
coin Highway between Metuchen and Highland Park by
the State Highway Commission, because the road is rapidly
deteriorating and will hardly last through another winter. 1t
had been announced by the highway board that it was with
out funds and could do no paving work until next year. The
county was asked to finance the work under the reimburse
ment plan, but after some negotiating this was declined.
Through a juggling of accounts, it appears, the State
Highway ommission has made it possible to go ahead with
this work independent OF the county and 1t is understood
that work will soon be started.
But while there is no objection to the ~repaving of this
stretch of highway there is good ground for objecting to the
use of patented material for the surface of the pavement
The Lincoln Highway on both sides of this particular stretch
is paved with concrete. Through Railway and all the way
10 Metuchen there is to be found one of the finest highways
in the country. 1t has been praised by all who have used it.
Experts have come from distant states to inspect it..
Again, after crossing the Albany street bridge and
negotiating the awful streets of New Brunswick, another
ideal concrete pavement is encountered. Just why the State
Highway Commission wants to break this long stretch OIL
excellent concrete by placing warrenite on the SIX miles
connecting these two concrete roads is not explained. The
wonderment becomes all the greater when it is realized that
The concrete road costs less than the warrenite. In some oEI
The previous construction it has been found that the inch or
Two of patented material smeared over the concrete foundd-
ton has cost nearly as much as the eight or ten inches OIL
concrete. When concrete alone makes such a fine road an
gives such universal satisfaction it is strange that those who
are entrusted with the handling of the peoples money III
such matters will continue to waste it in such a way, espe-
cially when there is so much to be done and so little money
10 do it with.
incidentally, the taxpayers of Middlesex county cannot
overlook the fact that the road which is now declared worn
out is hardly more than half paid for. The bonds issued to
pay for its construction still have some ten years to run. In
other words, MiddleseX county will still be. paying for a
road ten years after it has been replaced by another This
certainly is paying for dead horses with a vengeance. I'll
ought to be a sufficient lesson to build as thoroughly as is
known how, yet patent pavements continue to be the favor
lite in a great many instances.
Its a pity that some action cannot be taken to prevent
the State Highway Commission carrying out what seems to
be its intention to use the patent material on the MetucheL-
Highland Park road. Any board that is as short of funds
as the State Highway Commission appears to be and with SO
much to be done with what is available ought to seize evervI
10 save money. The fact that the board persistsl
in specifying patented material in view of what is so we'll
known cannot help but cause much speculation in the minds
of the people as to why the patented stuff is so favored.