Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1923-05-12
ROAD REPAIRS
FOR METUCHEN
Road to PIainfieId to be Fixed
by State if Not by Middle
sex FreehoIders
ALSO WORK ON DETOUR
Plan Parallel Road to Keyport-
South Amboy-AIbany st.
Bridge to be Wider

TRENTON, May ELIMINATES of
the New Jersey State Prison and the
RahWay Reformatory are again to
pe used on state road work. This be-
came known here in connection with
the action of the State Highway
commission yesterday in finally "a
dopting its program of road con-
structlon for the season of 1928. A
total of eighty-four and a fraction
miles will be added to the state sys-
tenn of highways if the program is
carried to completion. The estimated
cost of the work will be $7,383,935,
divided as follows: For roads, S4.-
62l,93S; For bridges, $2,762, 600.
Concrete is the type of pavement
designated for practically every
road job which the commission has
planned for this year. About ten
miles will be of sheet asphalt.
The decision to experiment again
with so-called convict labor is based
upon new plan different from any
tried before. The department of in
stitutions and agencies will be the
contractor, Just the same as any
private concern bidding for the work.
The commission yesterday entered
into an agreement with the depart
ment to build the Bordentown-C Cross
wick Creek section of Route 2, of
the state highway system, in Burling-
ton county, and it is expected that
in the neighborhood of one hundred
men from the State Prison will be
engaged by the department in this
work.
The job will cost III the neighbor-
hood of 100000 ana the depart
ment of institutions and agencies
submitted bid in the regular way
for the work, declaring that it could
do the contract for just what the
engineers of the highway commission
have estimated it ought to cost. The
pavement to be laid will be con-
crete.
The plan is to use the men from
he Trenton prison and the Railway
Reformatory on highway construc-
lion work within the immediate VIC
nifty of the two institutions, so that
hey may travel to and from the pris-
on and reformatory each day to THEN
work. 1his abolishes the prison road
amp idea, which obtained when
onvict labor was tried under the
I'D Edge Highly way Commission.
Under the terms CT the contract
he state will rent the equipment TO
he institutions department and act
ls it's purchasing agent for supplies.
Major William G. Sloan, state high
way engineer, ard Commissioner of
institutions Burdette G.. Lewis. work.
d out the details of the plan, which
the Highway Commission approved
Yesterday, subject to the sanction of
;he attorney general later.
A telegram was yesterday sent to
the Middlesex county freeholders by
the highway board advising the lat
ter that unless it repairs Park ave-
nue. between Metuchen and Plain
Ga1I 11xy 10 cfa ia TON in
and do the work and charge the cost
to the maintenance account moneys
allotted to this county for such pur-
poses.
II was also announced that the de-
tour for use by the public during the
Improvement of the Metuchen-New
Brunswick road will be put in proper
shape.
1t was decided to hold the money
for the widening of the South AM
boy-Keyport road until plans have
been decided upon for a parallel
highway in this territory. The mat
ter was referred to Roy Mullins, of
the engineering staff of the commits
sion, who will consult with the Mid
dlesex and Monmouth county engi-
neers.
Commissioner Abraham Jelin was
successful in having the commission
include within its construction pro-
gram for 1923 the widening of the
Albany street bridge in New Bruns-
wick so that twenty feet Will be add
ed, ten on each side. 1t is estimated
the cost will be s215,000. This is a
ling in Route of the State Highway
system.
The commission passed a resolu-
ton to mark all detours before con-
struction work begins, and also to
properly mark all routes and inter
sections of routes