Milford chronicle., 1923-11-30
FINE SHOWING MADE BY
HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT.
Eighty-eight Miles Of Improved
Roads Constructed NOtwith-
standing Late Start.
new METHOD SAVES MONEY
Type Of Road Now Being Built In
Delaware Is Thicker On Edge
Than In Middle.

The highways completed during 1928
by the Highway Commission of Della
ware and the expeditions manner oil
doing the work, has made it the most
successful year in the history of that
Commission.
During the working year, which
started late because of the legislature
failing to pass the appropriation bill
until in April, the start made was
much later than usual. The work was
begun on May % and since then. I'M
til November Is, SO miles of highways
were built through Delaware. In the
year previous, 1922, the work was be-
gun on March 81 and continued until
November Is when but "a miles of
highways were constructed.
An item Of $1S2,75O.81 represents
the amount saved on concrete during
this year through the efficiency of the
personnel of the engineering staff of
the Highway Commission of which c..
Douglas Buck is the head. This repre-
sents a saving of about $4,000 a mile.
In addition to this economy, in the
coming year about $4,000 a mile will
be saved in the preparation of the
foundation for concrete highways
through the use of Stag instead of
crushed stone. Besides this the engi-
neering costs have been reduced to a
minimum.
One important feature that others
outside of the Highway Department do
not realize is, that when contra ctor
does not complete his contract to
build highways within the specified
time, the excess time that this con-
tractor has occasion to use an engi-
neer and inspector of the State High
way Department, is paid for by the
contractor and is no expense to the
State.
In the building of the SO miles of
highways this year there were con-
sumed 1890 carloads of stone, 2,16O
carloads of sand, 1850 carloads of &C.
ment. If the material had been placed
in freight cars it would have made
train rs miles long. Take the item of
cement used alone. If the cement had
been piled on the historic Dover
Green" in front of the State House, it
would have mounted to height of 81
feet, using every inch of the Green"
How Delaware Compares With Others
The Highway Department attained
its highest point of efficiency during
three weeks in October. For these
three weeks the department con-
structed Is miles a week, each week
of the three, working IL days a
week. This record is a remarkable one |
when compared with engineering eff
IF ~ OF hi oh
missions. There is one state this year
which had $50,000,000 highway
building program. The engineers of
that states highway construction de-
partment boosted of the fact that with |
their much greater capacity to build |
they were able to build two |
miles of highways a day. Delaware's |
highway equipment machinery. while |
not as large as many other states, is
still an important item. The machin-
cry, according to Mr.. Buck, represents
an outlay of S2,250,000.
One of the features in the balance
sheet of the COS. of the highways built
this year is The fact that the state
was called upon to pay money for but
few rights of way. In the SO miles of
highways CONSTRUCTED IL WdS u6CSS-
sary to obtain 562 rights of way. The
o. Dslawareans to give
enough land to cons. ruct highways
through heir properties, is due large
ly to the Fact that they realize the
benefit the highways will be to thom
in transporting produce, poultry and
fruit to markets.
One happy illustration of the will
ngness of Delaware people 20 cO-'p-
crate with the State Highway Com
Continued on page ive)