Milford chronicle., 1923-01-05
MANY new ROADS
FOR DELAWARE
CONTINUED from first pagel

= upkeep of a system of highways, rep
e resenting an investment of 81s mil
lion dOllars-Which can satisfactoril,
= function, and cause this work to b.
thoroughly and efficiently performed
. with a force of 80 men at an averagl
2 salary Of $148.13 per month, will win
1 think, the confidence of those sin
cerely interested in the success of thu
, enterprise"
The Department within the veal
/ made surveys, prepared plans and de-
signs, and furnished engineering su.
pervision and inspection for work to,
falling $2,S7S,65O, at a cost of $780,,
478.67 or a total overhead cost of 51E
per cent. Figures furnished by the
Bureau of Public Roads for 28 States
in the Union places Delaware's cost
for Engineering and Administration in
ninth place, the costs for the % States
varying from 3.55 per cent to 1215 pei
cent.
Delaware was allotted by the Fed
eral Government this year $365,625, all
of which has been taken up in con-
tract projects let during the year.
A bill passed by Congress in June
authorized $190,000,00O for highway
construction in the next three years,
of which Delaware's share will be
$926,625, provided the State raises an
equal amount.
The State Highway System was in
spected in 1922 by numerous parties
of visiting engineers and officials, not
only from other States but from other
countries, including Canada, Scotland
and New Zealand. Without exception
these visitors paid high compliment to
the foresight of the department and
the permanent work it has done in
laying out the State System and Sc
curing adequate rights of way before
further encroachments were made, the
removal of which would entail great
expense in the future. This has be-
come serious problem in many To-
calities. The Department has an ex-
ample of this in connection with it's
work on the Philadelphia Pike and
says: Sooner or later this problem
will have to be met by the State or
county on the Lincoln Highway be-
tween Wilmington and Marshallton."
More rigid laws are urged restrict
ing the loads permitted on improved
highways.
'"To illustrate the lack of apprecia-
ton by some of the States new roads"
says the report, our scale records for
the year, of trucks travelling the Phil
adelphia Pike, show instances where
loads of 18 tons were being transform
ed over this road in January, a month
when heavy loads are especially in
furious.
"At the close of the year 1922, our
maintenance organization will have
under care 264 miles of roads and the
average cost of the work will be
slightly less than $3.50 per mile"
Further, in the damage to roads by
heavy trucks, the report says:
The enormous increase in the num-
Der and weight of motor trucks using
our highways has raised the question
as to whether the present registration
fees are at all propOrtionate to the
use of and the damage done to the |
highways by these freight carriers. It !
is especially questionable with respect |
to those operating as common carriers
and who use the highways throughout |
the year.
"The consideration of a tax on
gasoline is also recommended"
Other recommendations made by |
Chief Engineer Buck are as follows:
las 1T apepars possible to retire in |
q years at los the 4O-year bonds
heretofore issued for road construc-
ton if the annual sinking fund is
safely invested at S1a per cent, and |
this interest compounded by similar
annual investments at the same rate,
take the liberty to suggest that con-
be given this important pos
sibility by the Sinking Fund Commits
sion.
"The enormous traffic on the Phila-
delphia Pike extending from the
Pennsylvania State line at Marcus
Hook to Thirty-third street, Whining
ton, has made evident to the adjacent
owners the adVisability of
The development of the pike in accord
ance with the plans of the Department
to provide an 80-foot right of way.
rwenty-One per cent of the properties
along the highway have already been
acquired and recommend active
toward completing this pro-
ect the coming year.
Inspection by our Department of
he bridge at Seaford, spanning the
Nanticoke River, indicates that this
bridge is unsafe and inadequate for
he everyday traffic required to use
t.
''It must in the near future be aban-
loned and since this crossing is a
'art of the present State system be-
ween Delmar and Wilmington, rec
that the present bridge be
eplaced by the State in 1928, with a
modern, appropriate, and substantial
tructure and in order to defray the
Of this project, a special ap-
rOpriation be provided.
"As our budget provides for the
of what can justly be
onsidered, only a nucleus of a police
Orce, sufficient to adequately patrol
ur ever increasing system. of high
rays, offer the suggestion that leg
Station be enacted providing the State
18th cOnstabulary, organized and
in>a manner similar to
UGH forces engaged in PENNSYLVANIA,
ew Jersey and Maryland.
"In the event provisions cannot be
lade, establishing such a force, I
Onsider it most important that in
92S, the now existing laws be re-
lsed, in order that all fines imposed
pom those apprehended by our DO
ce on the State highways, for viola
ons of the State Traffic Laws, may
svert back to our Department, to off
1t the operating expenses of this
'rce, which would then be practically
disappearing and possibly permit Of
sufficient number of men to effec-
vely patrol all State roads.