Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-01-23
UNLIMITED ROAD
EXPANSION NEEDED
Many Streets Must Also Be
Widened During Year.
1925 Work Started.

Special Dispa tch 10 The Star


NEW YORK, January 23-Tbere
was new automobile bought in the
last year for every 13 feet Of rural
highway constructed throughout the
country. In other words, IL all the
new automobiles were strung in line
along all the new roads, each would
De able to move only five or six feet
before traffic would be blocked. The
result OF this situation is that 1925
VIII see the greatest program of new
road building ever known in America.
Populous districts have already start
ed TO do what the railroads did wears
ago-double track existing rights OF
way.
Broader Streets Great Need.
Pavements in metropolitan districts
constructed a few years ago are not
wide enough to care for the increases
In traffic. Wayne County, Mich, in
which Detroit is located. fittingly took
the nrst step to rectify this condition.
Ihat county spent $1.00O,OO0 in 1924
acquiring wider rights of way. and
VIII pursue a similar policy this year.
me program planned there involves
superhighways with widths Of Sc, 120
mands.
The plan provides for maintenance
| ana local traffic with A minimum OF
interference, Intersections will con.
slst of separate levels for the two
highways, similar to railroad and
road grade crossings. thereby allow
ing free movement in each direction
On the main route from Detroit tc
fotlnac, in Oakland County, a super
highway now is in course of construc-
ton and consists OF two 44-foot strips
C0nrFnfA duo .s.L
double car tracks between. This is
the widest rural highway yet built
| in America
bigger Road Expenditures.
Over a billion dollars were spent
on paved roads in 1924 and an even
larger sum will be disbursed this
year. The demand for year round
highways has stirred the thinly pop
ulatec western areas as well as the
congested areas. About 64,112, 565
squares yards Of concrete as well as the
way was constructed in the last year,
equivalent to 6,07I miles of I8-foot
road This exceeded the record OF
any previous year by nearly SIS
miles. Concrete highways In this
country now total 31,7o0 miles. The
greatest increase in pavement con-
struction was in the building Of con-
crete streets and alleys. which totaled
5i,s27.S62 square yards Of 40 per cent
more than in 1923. This work is
equivalent to 1878 miles of IS-foot
highway, or enough to run a con-
crete band "a feet wide from the At
lantic TO the Pacific. In addition. con-
tracts for 1000 miles of concrete
highways were carried over into this
year.
Illinois Takes Lead.
Illinois has taken from California
the coveted lead in highway construc-
ton. The concrete roads of the
Middle Western Commonwealth now
aggregate 4,l05 miles, as compared
with 1856 for California. Illinois
built Lila miles in the last ~ months
while California added only l7S miles.
New York now ranks third with 2795
miles and Pennsylvania fourth with
2,7O7. Indiana, Michigan. North Caro-
Ina, Ohio and Wisconsin all Increased
their good road mileage materially I'm
the last year.
There are now 17,700179 auton,o-
piles and trucks registered in this
country. There was a gain in the
last year of 1868 per cent. Some Of
these cars will be scrapped during
1925, but at least 100000 new cars
Will be built and sold and the net
gain for this year undoubtedly will
exceed 100000 vehicles. Unless
serious congestion and loss of bust
ness and industry is TO take place.
the building of highways must keep
pace with increases in traffic and
from projects now in preparation.
there Is every indication that it will.