Milford chronicle., 1923-02-09
new DELAWARE ROADS
HIGHLY COMMENDED
In One Essential Delaware's High
ways Excel Those Of Amy
Other State.
SAYS U. S. CHIEF ENGINEER
P. St. Julien Wilson, After Return
ing From An AlI-Day Inspection
Travelling 247 Miles.

That Delaware's modern roads COM
pare faVOrably with those OF any other
state has been recognized for several
years, but it may be news to even the
most earnest good road advocates that
in at least one respect DelaWare's s
new roads are admitted to be the best
in the whole country, and model
which other states are striving to i'm
itate.
Delaware's conceded supremacy lies
in what road engineers call "reloca-
tiOns'-that is the State highway sys-
tenn is laid out in the most advantage
Gus locations to the whole people, and
does not slavishly follow the lines of
the old country roads.
This statement is based on remarks
made at the Hotel DUPONT on Thurs
day night by P. st. Julien Wilson,
chief engineer of the United States
Bureau of Public Roads, after he had
returned from an all-day inspection
of the Delaware State Highway system
as well as some of the new State
aid" roads, having travelled in all over
247 miles in the State.
Capt. Wilson within the last few
months has critically inspected the
new roads in sixteen different states
and he has nothing but praise for the
splendid highways which have been
constructed here. The Federal chief
engineer made the tour of the Della
ware roads in company with Chief En-
gineer c. Douglas Buck of the State
Highway Department, and Assistant
Chief Engineer Mack. Many interest
ing observation on the results OBJ
tanned here were made by Capt. Will
son. While he was especially favorab-
ly impressed with the Locations" of
the new highways he found also that
they. eXcelled in smOOthness of sur
face, permanancy of construction,
width of right of way and other inn
portant characteristics. The beautiful
and durable character of the concrete
work for the new bridge at Laurel,
where a lift bridge is to be erected
by the State Highway Department,
particularly impressed the Federal Of
fetal visitor.
While he was in Georgetown, Capt.
Wilson examined with interest one of
the oldest sections of concrete road
way in the State. The oldest piece of
concrete in Delaware is that small
section on West Front street, Milford,
in front of the Chronicle Office. This
concrete has been given coat OF tar
via and is in excellent condition. This
was laid twelve years ago by the town
of Georgetown, and though it was
crudely constructed, without any Of
the modern facilities or equipment for
concrete road building, it has stood up
under fairly heavy traffic in manner
that guarantees long life to the new
State roads, which have not only been
properly laid, but which are cared for
under a vigilant maintenance system.
Capt. Wilson was not surprised that
the public sentiment of the State now
so universally supports the State high
way work and so vigorously insists on
the carrying out of the program laid
out. He observed a very large part OF
all the roads that had been built and
he thought Delaware was to be con-
graduated on the remarkable progress
it had made.
There is now available for Della
wares use $926,OOO in Federal aid
funds, and this, with the sums author
lied to be raised by the counties, and
the bond issues that may be based on
the appropriations to be authorized by
the present General Assembly, should
be sufficient to complete, in 1928 and
1924, the whole highway system as at
present proposed.
Many interesting facts about the
States highways came out at the
hearing before the Budget Committee
of the legislature last Wednesday.
Among them was that the total
amount invested in the good roads OF
the State is $11 100000, of which the
State has supplied $5,320,000, the coun-
ties about $2,5OO,O0O, and General T.
Coleman du Pont So, 3,600,842. OF the to-
tai paid by General du POnt $1,OOO,OOO
was paid for the section of the du Pont
Boulevard south of Glendale.
Of the State road system 81 miles
are in New Castle county, 81 miles
are in Kent county, and 122 miles are
in Sussex county. The 81 miles in New
Castle county include IL miles built
by Pierre S. du Pont.
It has been suggested that the
money needed to meet the appropria-
tions required by the Highway De-
partment for the next two years be
raised by tax of one cent a gallon
on gasoline this year and two cents
gallon next year, and the legislature
snens tn favor this method.