New Britain herald., 1926-02-16
REASONS FOR WIDENING POST ROAD
 ARE OUTLINED BY STATE ENGINEER
Traffic Congestion Several Years in Advance of Pro- jects for Relief, Bushnell Declares.

! New Haven, Feb. lG-Rcasons for widening the Boston Post road from Ereenwich to New Haven. engineer Ing difficulties met, and present con. [ dlllons Of the work were given ln. Arthur w, Bushnell, engineer of inc s'a'e highway department before the 42hl annual meeting of the Connoc- lieut. Society Of Civil Engineers, here today.
 Mr. Bushnell said traffic conges. ton on the post road was several years in advance of projects for full relief but widening the present turn pike had been decided upon as the most immediate hope of an ahatc- lnent Of present conditions Mir. Bush nell said:
 Post Road Important.
 The Post Road is the principal entrance road to New England from New York city and points south and west. II is tha bottle neck .hrourh which traffic for Connecticut has to pass. lf traffic is retarded on Inc Post Road, traffic throughout the whole state and 10 an extent all of New England is affected. The first place 10 help traffic conditions should be on the Post Road
 Statistics show that traffic has in- creased at the rate ot 20 per cent year, Last July a traffic census on the Post Road at Greenwich gave over 16,000 vehicles in 4 hours and over lc,000 from q. m. 10 : D. m. an average Of 1000 per hour Al Darion, while less than Greenwich. | traffic count gave over 12,o0o vc- htcles in 4 hours. Check figures in summer and early fall for 1o hours showed even greater traffic density.
 Ways For Relief.
 Traffic on the Post Road can hr loosly divided into slow moving heavy vehicles and fast moving light vehicles. The congestion is caused hy the slow vehicles, or, by trucks. Relief may come by three ways: Pro- hibit the Use of this road hy trucks; widen inc present trayclcd way to permit of passing Of trucks without interfering with traffic in the oppo- site direction or, by providing q par allel route for fast moving cars.
 Tt is obvious that trucks could not be prohibited on the prestn; Post Road
 "The highway is a)rrady three or four years hehinl the traffic dc hands.
 "A parallel route to the presrn. Fos' Roai will have to he located north of it. due to the cost Of right Of way Of property in proximity 70 the present Pos' Road: and 10 the north there arg heavier grades.
 Parallel Route Essential.
 Easing the estimate on the curve of population increase and registra- ion rates, in 30 years three and onc-half times Inc present traffic can h.. expected so that, evn if the pres nut highway were double in width, q parallel rout" would soon bo nee os:ary The pavement on most of inc Post Road Was worn out and needed 70 be rebuilt.
 Ut was decided 10 widen the present Post Road immediately and after that was finished, 70 proceed to build a parallel road, making of it ' high speed road or parkway be- rause: q Widcucd read could h" started imm"dia'c,y and would take oaho Of the congestion as fast as built; it could take care of inc con gestion more satisfactorily than 2 parallel rou'" carrying both light and heavy traffic; a parallel route would naturally conncci with q New York route that carried only high speed traffic and, because Of the question Of location and acquiring rights Of way.
 start Made in 1921.
 "A start was made in 1924, taking hn sections of road most Congested md most badly needing repair Five , niles were built in Greenwich and | Dari"n, costing SGIiooo,
 Tn 1925. the second years work, . f a cost Of S1. .ooh.0oo 36 miles of pavement were built, and property acquired and 15 miles Of railroad were graded.
 Next summer it is hoped to build he Is miles of road which were i graded the past year and grade the remainder Of road"
 THRHTIIST TOWN